IBM portfolio

Bern, Switzerland: Benteli, 1974. Scapa (a.k.a. Ted Schaap). Folio. Three silkscreen prints + informational sheet. The three prints address the enormous rise of computing in the 1970s, at the helm of which was IBM. In his characteristically cartoonish, colorful, and jocular style, Schaap depicts office workers contending with computing equipment: one waters a growing tree of cords, another has slung a hammock between two computer towers, and in the last image, two men cryptically debate the merits of tower A versus tower B. The accompanying sheet of text provides a biographical sketch of Schaap, listing his many accolades as a designer, artist, and television host. The laudatory tone suggests that the sheet is something of a resumé, by which Schaap could present the folio to various outlets for consideration. Indeed, the mild humor is reminiscent of what one might find in the New Yorker, and certainly recalls Schaap's long history with the Dutch weekly "Nebelspalter." It is possible Schaap sent a copy of the folio to IBM itself; the company had operated a Dutch office since 1924, only thirteen years after its founding in New York, and it was certainly a major part of the Dutch commercial and cultural consciousness.

Some rubbing and toning to folio, trace creases and soiling to informational sheet, else near fine.