Livers des Artistes.
Fairfax, CA: Jungle Garden Press, 1994. Quarto. (18)ff. One of only three copies, signed by the illustrator, Carl Dern, and the printer, Marie Dern. A portfolio of eight pieces of original art by Carl Dern, mixing printing, watercolors, pen drawings, and collage. Playing with the concept of the livre d'artiste, or artist's book, the tongue-in-cheek illustrations interpret the work of eight famous modern artists, incorporating a representation of a human liver into the artists' works. For Georgia O'Keefe, the liver wears a pair of antlers and floats in the sky over a desert landscape, and in an interpretation of Georges Seurat, the liver becomes the exaggerated bustle of a women with a parasol. For Kurt Schwitters, the liver is decorated with a collage of found objects. Also included are parodies of Joan Miró, René Magritte, Eva Hesse, Frida Kahlo, and Joseph Beuys. Each illustration is preceded by a page bearing the name of the artist, letterpress printed by Marie Dern. A copy of this book was featured in the 2002 exhibition "Revealing the Mysteries: The Development of the Artist's Book in the Bay Area," at the San Francisco Center for the Book. The loose sheets are housed in a purple clamshell box designed by Dominic Riley. In a Dadaist touch, a textured, liver-shaped piece of metal is laid in, and attached to the box on a piece of string is a small plastic figurine of a baby. Slightest rubbing to the corners of the box, else fine. Item #24298
Price: $950.00