In 2008, John Bock was approached by editor Christophe daviet-Thery with the idea of creating an artist’s book. Bock was initially inspired by a Japanese children’s book shaped like an insect, which morphed into his first idea of creating a book in the form of his own silhouette, featuring a classic studio portrait on the cover. he later rejected this idea as too confining, and arrived at a subsequent meeting with Christophe daviet-Thery in Berlin with a doll-like figure tucked in the child’s seat of his bicycle. From that point on, Bock’s book project evolved into a collection of standing figures or ‘puppets’—each stylized and patterned individually by the artist and his personal tailor, adorned with unique and colorful headgear, and equipped with hand-embroidered cloth ‘books’ inspired by Japanese scrolls. with Howdy Bamington, John Bock has produced a project where the impulse to design a more traditional book eventually developed into the complex fabrication of a self-portrait of the artist as a ‘puppet’—a figure of uncommon humor, innocence, and personal style. Bock’s ‘puppets’ are conceptually connected to the notions of performance, provocation, and manipulation—all central to his practice.

Christophe daviet-Thery of CdT Éditions is most content when challenging the definition of a book. Through a collaborative process, CdT Éditions encourages artists to push the boundaries of what a book can be by offering them the opportunity to experiment with this medium. The complete edition of 30 ‘puppets’ (30 signed and numbered copies + 12 a.P. + 4 h.C.) is presented at Third Streaming in collaboration with Christophe daviet-Thery Éditions and independent curator and art consultant damon Brandt.

Jock Bock (B. 1965, gribbohm, germany) lives and works in Berlin. recent solo shows and ‘lectures’ took place at anton kern gallery, new York (2010); Barbican art gallery, London, U.k. (2010); and Temporäre kunsthalle, Berlin, germany (2010). Bock has participated in numerous group exhibitions at the Sydney Biennial, australia (2010); new museum, new York (2010); museum of modern art, new York (2009 and 2008); Centre Pompidou, Paris, France (2009); Venice Biennial, italy (2005 and 1999); Lyon Biennial, France (2005); manifesta 5, San Sebastian, Spain (2004); and documenta 11, kassel, germany (2002), among many others.

Christophe daviet-Thery Éditions would like to thank Lotte moeller and klosterfelde gallery in Berlin, nathalie rajo-harrison, grazia masson, and isabelle Vogelgesang in Paris, and Caisserie Chanussot in dijon for their contribution and support for this exhibition. John Bock is represented in the U.S. by anton kern gallery in new York and regen Projects in Los angeles.