Pop-up spread for Keith Haring's booklet Luna Luna: A Poetic Extravaganza! (1986); modeling his carousel proposal for the world's first art amusement park in Hamburg. See number 8 below.

Harper's Books: February Selections

A monthly selection of books, ephemera, and prints relating to art, photography, and subcultures. Follow the links for additional images and purchasing options. To browse similar materials, visit our Chelsea bookshop at 504 West 22nd Street. Please note our Winter hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 11am to 6pm; Tuesdays by appointment or chance.

1. Josef Albers

Never Before (Prospectus)

New York: Tyler Graphics, Ltd., 1976. Bifolium prospectus for one of the final projects that Josef Albers supervised before his death in March 1976; a portfolio of 12 five-color screenprints revisiting his 1971 painting Never Before. This prospectus illustrated with a handprinted screen miniature (4.5 x 4.75 inch print; 8 x 8 in. sheet), tipped-onto interior leaf, with explanatory text opposite. Printed covers with minor handling, thus near fine; screenprint fine.

$350.00

2. Joachim-Ernst Berendt

Jazz Kalender 1961 / 1965 / 1967 / 1968 (Four Wall Calendars)

München: Nymphenburger Verlagshandlung, 1964-1967. Four annual wall calendars from German journalist and Südwestfunk producer Joachim-Ernst Berendt; "an optical compendium of jazz," featuring a selection of the year's best photographs of jazz musicians, performances, festival environments, and cultural vignettes. The accompanying texts, printed in both German and English translation, offer insightful commentaries on developments in the international jazz scene, with a special emphasis on pioneering tendencies. Modest edge-wear with contemporary annotations to a handful of leaves; else near fine. This group accompanied by Berendt's business card for Südwestfunk, with a manuscript note (in English), presumably addressed to an American jazz photographer.

$850.00

3. Mark Borthwick

2000-1: Maison Martin Margiela

La Maison Martin Margiela, 1998. An experimental lookbook from Mark Borthwick, in which he loosely interprets Martin Margiela's 1998-1999 Fall/Winter collection under the false cover of 2000-2001. Contents: [112] pages of saturated color plates interspersed with poetic fragments; concluding with an intoxicating stream-of-consciousness text from Borthwick: "there are strange feelings accumulating them selves around each other abundant souls waiting for the unexpected little fleetings layering them selves a thousand leaves a cleansing of a seasons past thoughts reminiscent of child like a field a passage an opening into joy..." Faint scuffing to white wrappers, else near fine, with printed wraparound band. A sharp copy of this first number in Margiela's Line 13 (Objects and Catalogs).

$350.00

4. Jean Dubuffet

Dubuffet: Grand Palais / Coucou Bazar (Signed Limited Edition)

Paris, 1973. Limited Edition. Three color lithograph printed to thick Arches paper (26 x 19.5 inches), with undulating die-cut borders; INITIALED and dated by Dubuffet to lower corner, and hand-numbered as 51/200. A dynamic poster designed by Jean Dubuffet on the occasion of his Grand Palais retrospective (Sept. 28 - Dec. 20), as well as the Paris debut of his "animated painting" Coucou Bazar (Nov. 2 - 29), with twenty performers costumed as—and amidst—his Hourloupe sculptures, moving, often-imperceptibly, to a score by Ilhan Mimaroglu. For this spectacle, staged as part of the 1973 version of the Festival d'Automne à Paris, "all must be endowed with a semblance of life, or at least an intensification of their powers, to evoke a world of uncertain and unstable figures, which are perpetually shifting in and out of transitory combinations and transformations." (Webel 1158). A remarkably fine copy of this contoured limited edition; the same composition was also printed in standard poster format.

$3000.00

5. William Eggleston

William Eggleston: Color Photographs, 1966-1977 (Announcement Card)

New York: Castelli Graphics / Leo Castelli, 1977. Folding card (6 x 6 inches, folded), with front panel illustrated after the now-iconic Untitled (Cocktail on a Plane). Announcement for William Eggleston's exhibition of color photographs at Leo Castelli's 420 West Broadway gallery (Nov. 26 - Dec. 10, 1977); a year after his contentious MoMA exhibition adjusted the reception of color art photography. Minor toning to margins of interior panel; near fine.

$200.00

6. Lee Friedlander / Walker Evans

The Little Screens (Signed Limited Edition)

San Francisco: Fraenkel Gallery, 2001. Limited Edition. Small quarto. One of 100 copies in acrylic slipcase; SIGNED and hand-numbered by Friedlander to front endpaper (48/100). The first published collection of Lee Friedlander's prescient cycle of television photographs (1961-1970), captured mostly in motel rooms, with 34 of his "little screens" here printed in lovely duotone; introduced by a preface from Walker Evans. Glossy illustrated boards featuring an impressive lenticular image to front panel: of a woman's televised close-up, shimmering between laughter and tears. A fine copy in green-tinted acrylic slipcase.

$750.00

7. Rick Griffin, Robert Crumb, Various Others

Promethean Enterprises (No. 1)

San Jose, CA: Promethean Enterprises, 1969. First Edition. Slim quarto. "Comic fans are wondering why we failed to print a three page comparison of Spider-Man as portrayed by Steve Ditko and John Romita, and the customary 17 pages of ads. Underground fans are still looking for the social commentary and the 'Zap'-like humor... These 'disappointments' arise from the uniqueness of this publication. We feel that there is room in comic and underground fandom for a contributing and uniting force. Similarly, we feel that there is a long-neglected need for a magazine that can present to the general public samples of the fine art that appears in the two media." A bold editorial statement from this first issue of the fanzine Promethean Enterprises, introduced by savage cover art from Rick Griffin. Contents: [28] pages, with contributions from the likes of Griffin, Robert Crumb, Frank Franzetta, and George Metzger. A remarkably fine copy in illustrated textured wrappers, with the serial's telltale enigmatic lettering.

$500.00

8. Keith Haring

Luna Luna: A Poetic Extravaganza!

Luna Luna Freizeitanlagen, 1986. First Edition. Quarto (bifolium). Pop-up booklet designed by Keith Haring to model his dynamic contribution to Luna Luna, André Heller's ambitious attempt to curate the world's first art amusement park in Hamburg (Jun. 4 - Aug. 31, 1987). Haring's colorful carousel ride—populated with his distinctive characters—was in good company on the fairgrounds, alongside Jean-Michel Basquiat's Ferris wheel, a shadow room from Georg Baselitz, a labyrinth designed by Roy Lichtenstein with accompanying Philip Glass score, and an enchanted tree from David Hockney. The pop-up version of the carousel was here executed by Van Der Meer Paper Design Limited of Langley, England; printed, hand-assembled, and bound by Carvajal S.A. in Cali, Colombia. A remarkably fine copy in bright illustrated covers. Uncommon, with 5 OCLC records located in North America.

$1500.00

9. David Hockney

The Neal Street Restaurant (Menu)

London: The Neal Street Restaurant, undated. Folio (17 x 11 inches), printed recto only to light cardstock. Menu illustrated after a design by David Hockney for his beloved Neal Street Restaurant in Covent Garden (1971-2012); with menu details accomplished in mimeograph. Dessert wine for 90 pence. A bright copy with rich colors, with a faint spot of discoloration to blank verso, not showing through; near fine.

$650.00

10. Tibor Kalman 

Tibor Kalman: Perverse Optimist (Signed)

New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1998. First Edition. Quarto. A stylish monograph reflecting on the career of Tibor Kalman and his design firm M&Co., published shortly before his untimely death; this copy SIGNED by Kalman to title page ("Cheers / Tibor / 99/2"). Opening with a dynamic manifesto from Kalman—articulating his "perverse optimism" for a post-affluent society—and featuring dozens of illustrated campaign studies, including an issue-by-issue commentary on Colors Magazine. Poignantly concluding with a series of graphic vignettes from Kalman's wife Maira ("Some things you don't know about Tibor"). Other contributors include David Byrne, Jay Chiat, Jenny Holzer, Isaac Mizrahi, and Oliviero Tosani. Near fine in illustrated boards.

$350.00

11. Franz Kline

New Arts Gallery Presents: Recent Paintings and Drawings by Franz Kline (Two Volumes)

Atlanta: New Arts Gallery, 1961. First Edition. Two complementary catalogues from an exhibition of recent works by Franz Kline at Judith Alexander's dynamic Atlanta gallery (Apr. 16 - May 26, 1961); "the first formal showing of these works." The smaller bifolium brochure illustrated with four black-and-white reproductions of the exhibited works, accompanied by review excerpts from Frank O'Hara (Evergreen Review, 1958) and Kenneth B. Sawyer (Venice Biennale, 1960). The larger stapled catalogue (10 pp.), illustrated with a portrait of Kline and an additional 10 reproductions of the exhibited works; one of these a fold-out (Black Iris, 1961). Bifolium near fine, with hint of toning to margins; stapled catalogue with some scuffing to covers and minor abrasion to rear panel, but nonetheless better than very good. Uncommon, with 3 OCLC records located in North America.

$650.00

12. Barbara Kruger

Back to the Future (Announcement Card)

New York: Mary Boone Gallery, 2004. Folding announcement card for Barbara Kruger's exhibition at Mary Boone (Oct. 28 - Dec. 18, 2004), with Kruger's 1988 silkscreen work Untitled (Pledge) boldly printed across recto—unfolding to a single scroll of politicized text (14 x 7 inches). Exhibition details printed to interior panel. Minor edge-wear to cardstock, else near fine.

$150.00

13. Les Levine

Levine's Restaurant: New York's Only Canadian Restaurant (Broadsheet)

New York: G. S. N. Properties, 1969. Tall broadsheet (17 x 14 inches), printed recto/verso and illustrated with a portrait of Levine by Fred W. McDarrah. A promotional poster for conceptual artist Les Levine's short-lived restaurant in the Flatiron; an "autobiographical culinary environment" that preceded Gordon Matta-Clark's artist-run restaurant Food (1971). Partnered with Mickey Ruskin of Max's Kansas City fame, Levine designed the restaurant with "a tackiness that exemplified bad faith between the owner and his figurehead. Levine saw it as a kind of space-age Howard Johnson's for the tourists, while Ruskin still had illusions of cornering the meat-and-potatoes artists' trade. The result was an abortion of white plastic bucket seats, kelly-green tablecloths, charcoal walls, a juke box filled with 1950s rock, dreadful colored plastic lighting fixtures, environmental TV that never worked, waitresses in bowling team T-shirts, Jewish memorial candles at every table, and third-rate Op paintings which Ruskin had put up in desperation to draw the artist trade. 'The paintings are camouflage,' Levine insisted" (Jack Burnham, Artforum). With the restaurant's Irish-Jewish-Canadian menu—"perhaps the prime element of masochism on Levine's part"—printed to the poster's verso. Some fading at fold-lines, thus close to near fine. Scarce, with no OCLC records located.

$950.00

14. Jack Pierson

Pretty Lies (Signed Porftolio)

[Tokyo]: Taka Ishii Gallery, 1997. Limited Edition. Large quarto. One of 300 copies; SIGNED by Pierson to title page. A handsome portfolio reproducing 11 of Jack Pierson's bold color photographs to loose folio sheets, with captions printed to opposing leaf; all images dating from 1996. Minor scuffing to spine of white linen boards, with black titles to front panel; near fine. In printed cardboard slipcase, showing minor scuffing; also near fine. With only 2 OCLC records located in North America. This copy with accompanying pricelist from Taka Ishii Gallery (in Japanese), for a photo edition by the same name.

$1000.00

15. Ed Ruscha and Peter Schjeldahl

Guacamole Airlines and Other Drawings by Edward Ruscha (Inscribed)

New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1980. First Edition. Small quarto. Softcover version. A collection of 84 drawings from Ed Ruscha, as selected by the artist himself; accompanied by a poem from Peter Schjeldahl. Printed in both black-and-white and color. This copy INSCRIBED by Ruscha to front endpaper: "Hello Richard Himes! / Ed Ruscha / 1984." A near fine copy in illustrated wrappers with French flaps. 

$350.00

16. Viviane Sassen

Missoni

Sumirago, Italy: Missoni / Paris: M/M (Paris), 2014. First Edition. Oblong quarto. A striking lookbook for Missoni's Winter 2014 Women's campaign, with art direction by M/M (Paris) and photography by Viviane Sassen—of models, paired with their Bauhaus-costumed alter-egos, shot against archaeological ruins; "like a daydream in the year 2970." Near fine copy in illustrated wrappers with creatively illustrated acetate jacket. Uncommon, with no OCLC records located.

$250.00

17. Paul Mpagi Sepuya

Shoot No. 2: Alex (Signed)

[Brooklyn]: Self-published, 2005. First Edition. Octavo. Hand-numbered as copy 25 of 200 and INITIALED by Sepuya to bottom corner of first page. The second of seven issues of Paul Mpagi Sepuya's photo-zine series Shoot (2005-2007), featuring an ethereal series of portraits of Alex, with two of the images reproduced in color to the wrappers. "I met ALEX through mutual friends almost a year ago. He is one of those people with such striking features that you never forget him, but sometimes can't quite place where you've seen him before." Contents: 8 pages, black-and-white, with centrefold portrait printed to blue cardstock. A fine copy in side-stapled wrappers. Scarce, with only 2 OCLC records located.

$650.00

18. Walasse Ting

My Shit and My Love: 10 Poems (Signed)

Bruxelles: Galerie Smith / Paris: Maurice Beaudet and Georges Girard, 1961. First Edition. Folio. An exuberantly-illustrated book of earthy poetry from Walasse Ting, published on the occasion of his exhibition at Galerie Smith (Brussels, Nov. 1961); the 17 exhibited paintings catalogued on the final page. This copy SIGNED By Ting in red crayon to first page and dated in the year of publication. Contents: 20 pages, including two six-color lithographs printed in Paris. Faint discoloration to margins of illustrated wrappers, thus close to near fine.

$500.00

19. Tad Wakamatsu

America First: New York 1960s

Tokyo: Bungei-Shunju, 1985. First Edition. Square octavo. "Kennedy is dead, the shadow of the Vietnam War looms, and in early 1960s New York, just before the Beatles arrived, an unpaid studio assistant has registered for the draft and follows the lives of people in the street." A poignant collection of black-and-white NYC street photography from Japanese photographer Tad Wakamatsu, best known for his photobook Ipy Girl Ipy. Concluding with an autobiographical text from Wakamatsu (in Japanese), relating his time in New York as Richard Avedon's studio assistant. A near fine copy in glossy boards. Illustrated jacket with minor toning, else near fine; accompanied by original publisher's obi. With only 3 OCLC records located outside of Japan.

$250.00

20. Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol: A Memorial Mass (Programme)

New York, 1987. Postcard-sized programme (7 x 5 inches), with recto fully-illustrated after Warhol's Raphael I - $6.99 (1985). Verso features printed details for Andy Warhol's memorial mass held at St. Patrick's Cathedral on April Fools' Day, 1987; speakers including Nicholas Love, Yoko Ono, and John Richardson. Concluding with a moving text from Rev. C. Hugh Hildesley, regarding Warhol's benevolent work: "Five hundred homeless and hungry New Yorkers will assemble on Easter Day at the Church of the Heavenly Rest, on Fifth Avenue at 90th Street. They will be served a delicious meal, and they will be treated as honored guests by some eighty volunteers. They will also be saddened by the absence of one who, with dedicated regularity, greeted them on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Andy poured coffee, served food, and helped clean up... He loved these nameless New Yorkers and they loved him back." Minor signs of handling; near fine.

$350.00

21. David Wojnarowicz

A Tribute to David Wojnarowicz (Memorial Program)

New York, 1992. Folding xerographic flyer printed to yellow sheet, fully-illustrated with interior collage. A stunning program designed by Jean Foos for David Wojnarowicz's memorial service at St. Mark's Church, organized a few months after his death on what would have been his 38th birthday (Sept. 14, 1992). The event featured recordings of Wojnarowicz reading from In the Shadow of Forward Motion, a reading by Bill Rice from Memories that Smell like Gasoline, music from 3 Teens Kill 4 bandmate Doug Bressler, and additional contributions from Barry Blinderman, Karen Finley, Judy Glantzman, Ben Neill, Patrick McDonnell, Bill Rice, Anita Vitale, Simon Watney, Phillip Yenawine, and Wojnarowicz's partner Tom Rauffenbart. Fold-lines to flyer, with faint ink inscription to rear panel, along with minor offsetting; thus close to near fine. Uncommon, with no OCLC records located.

$450.00

22. Martin Wong 

Benefit for Harriet Gray (Silkscreen Poster)

Arcata, CA: Bug Press, [1974]. Silkscreen print (17.5 x 23.5 inches). Poster designed by Martin Wong during his time in Northern California, promoting a fundraising event for Harriet Gray's campaign for the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors; printed black-and-blue on tan paper, with Wong's Dream Fungus chop to lower portion in red. A striking example of Wong's civic/social "semi-realism"—he would design menus, business cards, and calendars for local businesses in-and-around Eureka—this same composition was repeated in the painting Harriet Gray Driving; Gray being the subject of a number of Wong's paintings and drawings from this period. Pencil notation ("#1") to verso; a few spots of abrasion and one short edge-tear, else near fine. Archivally-hinged in black lacquer frame (20 x 25.5 inches), with UV plexiglass. A scarce survival.

$3000.00

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