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1966 to 1971 Germany

1967

Reykjavík
Roth works on Poetrie 2.
Die blaue flut 2 (a LOOK into the blue tide part 2);
“2 alphabets for computer;” “colouring book for children;” “colouring sheet for adults.” (probably refers to the work Monokromopopoptopolisches Nummer-Malwerk) . Roth works on the double book Noch mehr Scheisse. Eine Nachlese, footnotes to sweethearts… (with Emmett Williams). Roth takes up residence with Dorothy Iannone. September: Basle. Roth creates his first “Heaps” from layers of food covered with milk or yoghurt. A series is commissioned from Roth by the Basle advertising agency GGK as Christmas gifts: 120 Mould Heaps. He produces “hand-painted books” and “books with filled pages.” (Refers to Poetrie 2 and Poeterei 3/4, published in 1968). Contribution for dé-collage No. 6. Roth’s art increasingly becomes known on an international scale. To produce his graphic prints he establishes Schepperts Studio, a small printing workshop in Braunschweig-Oelper, together with Karl Schulz.

1968

London
Roth teaches at Watfort School of Art as a replacement for Hansjörg Mayer. There he produces his “recipe for a book without a theme,” printed by his students under the title little tentative recipe in 1969, and “melancholische nippes” (melancholy trinkets), for which Roth casts toys into chocolate. He translates 14 Chansons by Robert Filliou. Publishes “the unpleasant, embarrassing and weak diary” and undertakes the “printing of the review (10 copies).” (Probably refers to Poemetrie).
May: Düsseldorf. Roth teaches at the Art Academy in Düsseldorf (until 1971). He produces “self-portraits made out of edibles as old man corpse dog etc … maggot and fly colonies soft sculptures (cheese meat).” Since the works emit a strong odour of decay, the academy administration gives the order to clear the studio, in the course of which all of the works are destroyed. Roth becomes co-partner of the edition hansjörg mayer. Begins to publish the Gesammelte Werke/Collected Works. Collaboration with the printer Helmut Kaminski.
July: Reykjavík. Roth translates the English part of Daniel Spoerri’s Topography, adding his own comments. Produces contributions for the periodical ICA Bulletin and the exhibition Zeitkunst im Haushalt in Wuppertal (Vice Versand).

1969

dieter roth

Düsseldorf
Roth receives the Art Award of the Iserlohn City Council. He creates his first spice pictures and objects. May: 37 suitcases filled with cheese, “hidden rot,” are presented at the exhibition Staple Cheese (A Race) at the gallery of Eugenia Butler in Los Angeles.
The artist becomes co-partner of the edition hansjörg mayer, Stuttgart, London, Reykjavík. Until the end of the 1970s they will jointly publish nearly all of Roth’s books.
Roth contributes to Mauricio Kagel’s film Ludwig van and creates the objects Die Badewanne des Ludwig van (The Bathtub of Ludwig van) and the Franz Léhar Sofa. Roth is a participant of documenta 4 in Kassel.
July: Reykjavík. Works on his serial novel (“free version of the story 2 tvövaldir & 4 einfaldir by Vigfús Björnsson”). The first parts are published in 1969 and 1971. Roth withdraws his contribution for the exhibition fruend-friends-freunde und freunde at Kunsthalle Bern before the opening due to differences of opinion with exhibition-organizer Harald Szeemann. Contributions for Daily-Bul 12, Pop Architektur Concept Art, Interfunktionen 3, and collaboration with the Petersburg Press.

1970

Düsseldorf
“City sights” (silk-screen prints); Roth’s work phase with “banal-romantic monumentalism (large containers with wasting and rotting stuff)” commences. He creates spice objects and works such as Anis-Uhr (Aniseed Hourglass) or Gewürztruhe (Spice Chest). For the film Ludwig van he writes “franz lehar’s sofa text.” Begins collaboration with Stefan Wewerka (Cologne, Stuttgart, Braunschweig, Berlin, Munich, Reykjavík): Roth and Wewerka transform or carry on each other’s works. Production of the “cash register texts” as a contribution for Y 2. “Urban mud (transplantation of a text by richard hamilton)”: Roth translates Hamilton’s essay Urbane Image from 1963. Collaboration with Karl Egon Schulz.

1971

Reykjavík, London, Düsseldorf, Braunschweig, Berlin, Lucerne;
Poems for Noch mehr Scheisse. Eine Nachlese… ”Work in progress”: Twice a week Roth places a sentence in the newspaper Luzerner Stadtanzeiger as an advert. Furthermore, once a week he produces a lithograph from the same stone for the Petersburg Press. The first eleven variations of the graphic works are published under the title Eine Muse (A Muse). The essays Franz Eggenschwiler and 2 Probleme unserer Zeit (2 Problems of Our Time) are published. Roth prepares a travelling exhibition of his books and graphic works together with Hansjörg Mayer and Hanns Sohm. First collaborations (graphic works) with Richard Hamilton.

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