hey jamesi don't really have an answer to your question. but i did contact grey smith a few weeks ago with some information regarding his saul bass 'grand prix' silkscreen and our correspondence is below. it's incomplete correspondence as grey didn't have the courtesy to reply to my more recent email. and (even though he had plenty of time to do it) he did not amend the auction listing that claimed this 'grand prix' silkscreen was a run of less than 50, despite evidence i gave him (provided by jim dietz via the saul bass family) that there were probably many more copies of this poster produced.bestNeil
--- On Wed, 4/11/09, Neil Jaworski <neiljawor...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
From: Neil Jaworski <neiljawor...@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Saul Bass
To: gre...@ha.com
Date: Wednesday, 4 November, 2009, 12:15
hi grey
many thanks for your comprehensive reply, i know you must be hectic just now.
several years ago, Jim Dietz was selling Grand Prix silk-screens through his
site (i attach a copy of the long-since cached page). Jim had these consigned
to him directly from the Bass estate and one assumes that the details he listed
on
his website were those which the family had provided to him:
Grand Prix (1967) 25X39 inches. 150 were silk-screened by Bass in 1984.
So i was wondering if it were possible that your silkscreen came from Jim or
from the run of 150 that Jim/the Bass family refer to?
cheers
neil
Hello Neil,Sorry for the delay in answering. It is hectic here.I am not sure
where you got your information about Bass producing these in the 80s as I know
Bass produced these, not this title, but the series from late 1950s through the
80s. He commissioned these over a long period of time to be used for his own
purposes, like the Museum of Modern Art ( where some of my info derives) and
his old design school in New York, as submissions for annual design
competitions like Graphis magazine out of Switzerland, and as presentations to
individuals he worked with.
The quantity produced for each title started out at 50 pieces only(plus 6
"artists proofs" in case of screen-printing error, which almost always happens
to a certain percentage
of these objects as they are hand-pulled and inked) and later in time,
possibly early 70's or so, he increased the quantity to 150 because he found he
was running out of all the earlier titles.
Attached find a receipt from the screen printer that Bass hired for all of the
prints, Art Krebs, a well-known and highly respected screen printer in Los
Angeles (among many other important works, he printed Ed Ruscha's very first
signed/numbered silkscreen) dated 1965 (the same time period of these films)
for Bunny Lake and In
Harm’s Way.Also a Walter Reuben of LA has handled many of the Bass silk
screens and gave me much information, as he handled a test marketing for the
Bass family of some of the prints, some years ago. He says that he is well
aware that Bass produced many of these at around the time the film was released
and not in the early 1980s.I am not sure of the source of your information?The
Grand Prix, I am told
by many is one of the most elusive of the prints from the number that Bass
produced over the thirty-five year period. BestGrey
hi greyi'm reminded to drop you a line about this item:
Grand Prix (MGM, 1967). Silk-Screened Poster (25" X 39.5").
The rare poster offered here bears superb art by noted graphic designer Saul
Bass. This example is one of a very limited edition of prints (less than 50)
that Bass produced of his best designs for movie posters whether used by the
studio or not. The posters were usually produced around the time shortly after
the release of the film and were given to friends of Bass and to the Museum of
Modern Art in New York. This poster is in excellent condition with only the
slightest wrinkling from linen backing and rolling and unrolling. Thisitem is
from the collection of David Frangioni, collector and author of the upcoming
film poster book, from Palace Press International, entitled "Clint Eastwood:
ICON." Very Fine on Linen. Estimate: $2,000 - up.
i understand that these were silkscreened by saul bass in 1984 not 1967 and, if
so, it's a bit of a stretch to say that they were 'produced around the time
shortly after the release of the film'. and can you tell me where you got your
figure of 'less than 50 copies' from?thanksneil
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Title: SAUL BASS PAGE ONE
SAUL BASS POSTERS
JIM DIETZ MOVIE POSTERS
2726 SHELTER ISLAND DR. SAN DIEGO, CA. 92106
E MAIL is jsdi...@earthlink.netPLEASE GO TO MY HOME PAGE FOR INFO ABOUT ME .
All prices below are subject to change and confirmation. At the present time,
sales are limited to one of each poster per customer. Call for shipping and payment details.
"DESIGN IS THINKING MADE VISUAL"
-Saul Bass (1920-1996)
SAUL BASS with the logo and plane stripes he designed for United Airlines (poster reprinted from a 1980's Japanese newspaper advertisement for United Airlines.) 32 x21 inches $100. This poster is SOLD OUT.
In 2002 I became aware of and was asked to evaluate a collection of Bass posters owned by Saul Bass and left to his family after his death in 1996. (All of Saul Bass' original poster artwork and such unique items as the storyboards for the shower scene in Psycho were donated to the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences, and they can be inspected in their library.) Myself and Daniel Strebin, a poster dealer located in Los Angeles, have now been entrusted to show a large variety and sell a very limited quantity of posters from his personal collection, including Academy Award (Oscar) posters, film festival posters, miscellaneous publicity posters, and, of course, movie posters.
The movie posters in this collection are of special interest because, in most cases, they are not the production posters the studios released but instead are silk-screened "original concept" posters made in very limited quantities under Saul Bass' personal direction using the designs that Bass had originally wanted. In other words, these silk-screened posters are a sort of "director's cut." Most were made by him in 1984. The quantities were always between 100 and 400. In most cases, the majority were given away by Bass to friends or used in traveling expositions.
On this page are the movie poster images-- the "original concepts." Most of the posters are silk-screened, done on heavy stock and with no folds. Some of my images below are cropped slightly, have shadows and/or glare. These defects are not on the actual posters. Please e mail me now if you have any interest.
The film posters being presented here include Advise and Consent, Anatomy of a Murder, Bonjour Tristesse, Bunny Lake is Missing, The Cardinal, Exodus, The Fixer, The Magnificent Seven, Seconds, Such Good Friends, The Two of Us, The White Crow, and a few others. (The posters for Grand Prix, Seconds, The Fixer, and The Magnificent Seven are particularly interesting because they use Bass artwork that was not even used in the studio produced "original" posters.)
(Note: Under each image I have added the total number produced. Condition of all posters is A-, unused, near fine.)
Advise and Consent (1962) Directed by Otto Preminger. 200 were silk-sreened by Bass in 1984. This artwork was used on the studio production poster but with other material added. The backgrouind of this poster is a bright white. 26 x 36 inches. NO IMAGE. The initial allocation of this poster is SOLD OUT. Please inquire.
Anatomy of a Murder (1959) 25x35 inches. 300 silk-screened by Saul Bass in 1984. NO IMAGE . The initial allocation of this poster is SOLD OUT. Please inquire.
Bonjour Tristesse (1958) Directed by Otto Preminger. 25 x 32.5 inches. Photo offset version produced in 1958. NO IMAGE. The initial allocation of this poster is SOLD OUT. Please inquire.
The Cardinal (1964) 25'x31 inches, silk-screened poster produced by Saul Bass in 1984. Preminger film . 300 produced. NO IMAGE. The initial allocation of this poster is sold out. Please inquire.
The White Crow (1990) Unproduced film, 24 x 36 inches. NO IMAGE. The initial allocation of this poster is sold out. Please inquire.
Exodus (1960) 25.5x35.5 inches. Directed by Otto Preminger.. 150 were silk-screened by Bass in 1984. NO IMAGE, The initial allocation of this poster is SOLD OUT. please inquire.
The Fixer (1968) Directed by John Frankenheimer. 200 were silk-screened by Bass in 1984. This artwork was not used in the studio's production poster for this film about Czarist Russia. 26 x 35.5 inches. NO IMAGE. The initial allocation of this poster is SOLD OUT. Please inquire.
Grand Prix (1967) 25X39 inches. 150 were silk-screened by Bass in 1984. NO IMAGE. The initial allocation of this poster is SOLD OUT. Please inquire.
Bunny Lake is Missing (1965) Directed by Otto Preminger. 300 were silk-screened by Bass in 1984. 25 x 31 inches. No Image. The initial allocation of this poster is SOLD OUT. Please inquire.
Magnificent Seven (1960) 25x36 inches. Directed by John Sturges. 400 were silk-screened by Bass in 1960. NO IMAGE. The initial allocation of this poster is SOLD OUT. Please inquire.
Seconds (1966) 25 x 35.5 inches. 200 silk-screened by Bass in 1984. NO IMAGE. The initial allocation of this poster is SOLD OUT. Please inquire.
Such Good Friends (1971) Directed by Otto Preminger. 150 were silk-screened by Bass in 1984. 25 x 36 inches. NO IMAGE. The initial allocation of this poster is SOLD OUT. Please inquire.
The Two of Us (1969) 200 were silk-screened by Bass in 1984. 26 x 35 inches. NO IMAGE. The initial allocation of this poster is SOLD OUT. Please inquire.
For the short film posters, festival and Oscar posters, CLICK HERE -- the second page of the BASS poster collection.
Please use my e mail below for fastest reply.
jsdi...@earthlink.net
