Leporello spread of Leonard Koren's famously scarce artist's book 17 Beautiful Men Taking a Shower (1975); one of the precursors to WET: The Magazine of Gourmet Bathing. See number 13 below.

Harper's Books: September Selections

Below, our 22 monthly selections; a range of books, ephemera, and other printed matter relating to art, photography, modern literature, and design. Click the links for additional images and purchasing options. To browse similar materials, visit our Chelsea bookshop at 504 West 22nd Street (Tuesday through Saturday, 10–6).

1. Berenice Abbott

Changing New York

New York: E.P. Dutton, 1939. First Edition. Quarto. First issue binding. Published under the auspices of the WPA's Federal Art Project, Changing New York is a highspot of both documentary and New York City photobooks, with one of the truly great jacket designs of the twentieth century. Abbott's photographs, clearly showing the influence of her de facto mentor Atget, are accompanied by short texts from Elizabeth McCausland. (Parr/Badger, v1, 141; Roth 100-101). Save for some toning to blue endpapers, a near fine copy in blue cloth with gilt-stamped design. In a bright, striking example of the jacket, with modest edge-wear and a half-inch chip to top corner of front panel; close to near fine. A pleasing, unsophisticated copy.

$5000.00

2. Josef Albers

White Embossings on Gray (Inscribed Prospectus)

Los Angeles: Gemini G.E.L., 1971. First Edition. Octavo. A prospectus brochure for a portfolio of ten prints by Josef Albers for Gemini G.E.L. (White Embossings on Gray). This copy inscribed on title page by Albers, with a characteristically cynical comment on the quality of the reproductions: "Unfortunately the reproductions do not show that the white lines do protrude, because they are embossed, and therefore should show light and shade." Contents: [20] pages, illustrated with reproductions of the 10 prints, a series of black-and-white photographs of the production process, a reproduction of Albers' original drawings, and a frontispiece portrait from 1969. Some fading to printed wrappers, with rubbing to edges; close to near fine.

$350.00

3. Jean-Michel Basquiat

Amateur Bout: N.Y.C. New York (Inscribed by Baghoomian)

New York: Vrej Baghoomian, 1989. First Edition. Octavo. Number 578 of 1000 press-numbered copies. Facsimile of one of Jean-Michel Basquiat's legendary composition books, filled with his poetic texts and observations; designed and edited by Gerard Malanga. This copy featuring a New Year's gift inscription from publisher Vrej Baghoomian, who had organized Basquiat's final exhibition at his New York gallery in 1988. Near fine in illustrated boards.

$1500.00

4. Mark Bradford

Mark Bradford: End Papers (Signed)

Fort Worth, TX: Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth / Munich: DelMonico Books, 2020. First Edition. Quarto. SIGNED by Bradford to title page. Lavish catalogue published on the occasion of Mark Bradford's exhibition at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (Mar. 8–Aug. 9, 2020), curated by Michael Auping around the cultural motif of end papers. Featuring dozens of color reproductions and details, along with a 2019 interview of Bradford ("Jheri now, curl later"). Illustrated boards with printed translucent band. Light creasing to front endpapers, with original price sticker to rear panel; near fine.

$275.00

5. Peter Bradley, Ed Clark, Sam Gilliam, Kenneth Noland, Various Others

The De Luxe Show

Houston: The Menil Foundation, 1971. First Edition. Quarto. Catalogue published on the occasion of the landmark exhibition organized by Peter Bradley and John de Menil at the DeLuxe Theater in Houston's Fifth Ward (Aug. 15–Sept. 12, 1971); recognized as one of the first racially integrated art shows in the United States. In addition to Bradley himself, exhibiting abstract artists included: Darby Bannard, Anthony Caro, Ed Clark, Sam Gilliam, Virginia Jaramillo, Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitski, Larry Poons, and William T. Williams. The stylish catalogue, designed by Penny Johnson, illustrated after color photographs of the exhibited works and installation views, alongside interviews with Bradley and Clement Greenberg. A remarkably fine copy with group portrait printed black-on-black to glossy cover.

$750.00

6. Christo

Christo from the Rothschild Bank AG Zurich Collection 

[Japan]: Bijutsu Shuppan Design Center, 1987. First Edition. Quarto. An impressive catalogue introducing Christo's work to a Japanese audience, in anticipation of his transcontinental Umbrellas project; published on the occasion of a traveling exhibition, with stops at the Museum of Modern Art, Seibu Takanawa (Jul. 18–Sep. 6, 1987), The Seibu Museum of Art, Tokyo (Jan. 2–Feb. 16, 1988), and Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Modern Art, Kobe (Jun. 5–Jul. 3, 1988). Illustrated with over 150 images documenting Christo's oeuvre, with an additional 16 color reproductions of his preparatory Umbrellas drawings in a concluding section at rear. In addition to a lengthy interview with Christo, and a series of texts from Japanese curators and art historians, the catalogue is further notable for the brief introduction from the Rothschild Bank, which addresses its vision of bankers as artistic patrons. A fine copy in illustrated wrappers.

$150.00

7. George Condo

Existential Portraits: Sculpture, Drawings, Paintings 2005/2006

Berlin: Holzwarth / Luhring Augustine, 2006. First Edition. Quarto. 140 pages. Published on the occasion of the exhibition "George Condo: Existential Portraits" at Luhring Augustine (New York, May 5–Jun. 3 2006). Features an interview with the artist by Ralph Rugoff and 97 color plates documenting this year-long cycle of psychological sculpture, drawings, and paintings. Near fine in cloth boards in a near fine illustrated jacket. Uncommon.

$450.00

8. Genieve Figgis

Making Love with the Devil: Paintings by Genieve Figgis (Signed)

New York: Fulton Ryder, 2014. First Edition. Octavo. The first book on Irish artist Genieve Figgis, featuring a selection of hauntingly visceral paintings, which straddle the line between portraiture and abstraction. SIGNED by Figgis to title page. Featuring 32 vibrant color reproductions and an essay by David Rimanelli. Designed by Fabiola Alondra and For Office Use Only. A fine copy in blind-stamped wrappers.

$350.00

9. Stephen Gill

Warming Down: Photographs by Stephen Gill (Unique Copy)

London: Nobody, 2008. Limited Edition. Octavo. Artist's edition from Stephen Gill, in which he issued a new series of his Hackney Wick photographs in unique fashion, via a series of interventions to 130 withdrawn books from the Hackney Public Library system. In this case: Gill affixed 15 C-type hand prints (4.5 inches square) into an Ernst Eulenburg edition of Bach's Cantata No. 55 (circa 1930), along with a sun-etched lino print (with burn-marks), a pressed flower, shoe and bicycle tire prints, drawings, and various letterpress elements. SIGNED by Gill to final leaf and hand-stamped as copy 94 of 130. Cloth library binding with repairs to hinges; prints are fine. Scarce, with no OCLC records located.

$1250.00

10. Peggy Guggenheim and Jackson Pollock

Out of this Century: The Informal Memoirs of Peggy Guggenheim

New York: The Dial Press, 1946. First Edition. Octavo. Peggy Guggenheim's lively memoir, with the incredible dust jacket designed by Jackson Pollock. Near fine in black cloth boards, with typical toning to pages. Illustrated jacket shows general creasing with minor loss at corners and clean tears to two joints; nonetheless a better than very good copy of the increasingly uncommon jacket.

$750.00

11. Philip Guston

Philip Guston (Signed Catalogue)

New York: The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1962. First Edition. Quarto. Impressive catalogue published on the occasion of Philip Guston's mid-career retrospective at the Guggenheim, introduced by a lengthy biography from curator H. H. Arnason. This copy remarkably SIGNED BY Guston to title page in blue marker (dated March 1973). Illustrated by dozens of reproductions of the exhibited 98 paintings and 31 drawings; many in color, one folding. Blind-stamp to front endpaper from previous owner; art collector and patron George Francoeur. Small abrasion to front panel of illustrated wrappers; close to near fine.

$850.00

12. Keith Haring

AM-FM Radio with Carrying Strap

Hong Kong/New York: Pop Shop, 1985. First Edition. Multiple. Molded plastic radio (red, white, and black variant), with extendable antenna and carrying strap, housed in original illustrated box (5.25 x 5.25 x 1.5 inches). Manufactured in Hong Kong for Keith Haring's Pop Shop, in the year before its New York opening, this two-faced AM-FM radio was designed to embody his recurring Three Eyed Monster character. With Haring's signature molded to the lower portion of the control panel. The radio preserved in fine condition, with original plastic lining; untested (required 9 volt battery not originally included in packaging). Illustrated box with expected wear to joints, but otherwise remarkably bright and clean, with acetate windows intact and clear; close to near fine.

$1250.00

13. Leonard Koren

17 Beautiful Men Taking a Shower (Review Copy with Letter)

Los Angeles: Self-published, 1975. Offset litho and hand-stamps. Leporello (6 x 4.25 inches) reproducing 18 black-and-white photographs taken by Leonard Koren in Paul Ruscha's Hollywood apartment; a legendary photobook that reflects the origins of Koren's voluptuous serial WET: The Magazine of Gourmet Bathing. In 1975, Koren "was making bath art. This involved getting people to take off all their clothes and then bathe, according to my detailed instructions—in either water, mud, hot air, or steam—while I took photographs. Afterward, I assembled the images into more complex visual artifacts, usually lithographic and silkscreen prints. I sold these in galleries and through word of mouth." This review copy—featuring the typographical cover variant, with Koren's facsimile signature to final panel—is accompanied by a letter from Koren to NYC photographer Avery Willard (a.k.a. Bruce King), the publisher of the post-Stonewall magazine Gay Scene. The letter is written on the verso of a xeroxed Los Angeles Times article celebrating Koren's infamous bathing party at the Pico Burnside baths: "Dear Bruce King / Copies can be obtained by sending $10 to [hand-stamped address]... / Thanks, L.K. / P.S. I would appreciate a copy of Gay Scene with the review." This copy also accompanied by the work's original waterproof pouch. Mild toning to margins of covers, with slight scuff to rear panel; a close to fine copy of this famously scarce artist's book. One of 300 copies, with only 3 OCLC records located; all in Southern California.

$6500.00

14. Marisol

Marisol: Recent Sculpture (Announcement Card)

New York: Stable Gallery, 1962. Glossy announcement card (7.5 x 5.25 inches) for the pivotal Stable Gallery exhibition of Marisol's idiosyncratic sculptural work, inviting the recipient to the vernissage on May 8. Illustrated after black-and-white photograph of her Self-Portrait (1961-62). Faint stain to upper left corner, with some minor scuffing; close to near fine.

$350.00

14. Barry McGee

Larceny (HUF Edition)

[San Francisco: HUF, 2006]. Limited Edition. Octavo. Reprint of the zine produced by Barry McGee for his exhibition at Deitch Projects ("One More Thing," May 7–Aug. 13, 2005); compiling images of street and graffiti culture, including reproductions of police reports and anti-graffiti squad correspondence. This edition produced on the occasion of McGee's collaboration with San Francisco-based retailer HUF, to design the controversial Ray Fong adicolor sneaker for Adidas; copies of the zine were included in the original Adidas shoeboxes. Near fine in illustrated perfectbound wrapppers.

$150.00

16. Ugo Mulas

New York: Arte e Persone (Inscribed by Designer)

Milano: Longanesi & Co., 1967. First Italian Edition, issued simultaneously with the American. Folio. Classic photobook documenting the 1960s art scene in New York, with iconic black-and-white photos from Ugo Mulas of the likes of Bontecou, Duchamp, Johns, Lichtenstein, Newman, Noland, Oldenburg, Poons, Rauschenberg, Rosenquist, Segal, Stella, Warhol, and Wesselmann. Essay and biographical texts from Alan Solomon here translated into Italian. This copy INSCRIBED to front endpaper by the book's designer, Michele Provinciali, to Italian photographer Ennio Vicario, who had himself photographed Piero Manzoni in his studio; Vicario's exlibris stamp to lower margin. (Roth 186-187). Minor thumb-soling to a handful of pages, else a near fine copy in cloth boards. Photo-illustrated jacket with slight rubbing and minor chipping to spine ends; close to near fine.

$1250.00

17. Claes Oldenburg

Claes Oldenburg: An Anthology (Accompanied by Signed Lithograph)

New York: Guggenheim Museum, 1995. Second Edition. Thick quarto. Impressive Claes Oldenburg monograph designed by Massimo Vignelli; published on the occasion of the Guggenheim Museum exhibition curated by Germano Celant. Illustrated with over 300 color images and featuring texts by Celant, Marla Prather, Mark Rosenthal, and Dieter Koepplin. This copy includes a SIGNED seven-color lithograph from Oldenburg: Shuttlecock on a High Wire (in the Rotunda of the Guggenheim Museum on the Stationery of the Hotel Pont Royal); hand-numbered as 201/250 and accompanied by Guggenheim print registration sheets, in original presentation folder (creased to top panel). Navy blue silken boards with blind-stamped design; close to fine. In bright illustrated jacket; fine. Housed in original cloth slipcase.

$1000.00

18. Sigmar Polke

Sigmar Polke: Exposition du 20 octobre au 31 décembre 1988 (Inscribed)

Paris: Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (ARC), 1988. First Edition. Quarto. INSCRIBED by Polke to half-title page. Catalogue published for the celebrated exhibition of Sigmar Polke's works at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (Oct. 20–Dec. 31, 1988), organized by Suzanne Pagé in collaboration with the artist. Thoroughly illustrated with 50 color reproductions and installation views; introduced by a series of critical texts. A fine copy in stylishly illustrated wrappers.

$450.00

19. Peter Saul and Dan Nadel (editor)

Peter Saul: Professional Artist Correspondence, 1945–1976 (Signed with Drawing)

Los Angeles: Bad Dimension Press, 2020. First Edition. Octavo. A collection of correspondence from Peter Saul from his formative years, illustrated with dozens of reproductions, mostly color. This copy features a comic self-portrait drawn by Saul in black ink to publisher's slip affixed to front endpaper, SIGNED. Illustrated peach wrappers, with clever folding die-cut design; fine.

$650.00

20. Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol: Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (Catalogue)

Paris: Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (ARC), 1970. First Edition. Slim quarto. Stylish six-panel leporello catalogue published on the occasion of Andy Warhol's Paris exhibition (Dec. 16, 1970–Jan. 14, 1971), for which he'd requested an entire room to be dedicated to his bright pink cow wallpaper. Featuring an introduction from Gilbert Brownstone and an essay by Alfred Pacquement, the latter illustrated with pink cows serially printed to margins. Printed to verso: a descriptive catalogue of the 122 exhibited works, organized into five sections: portraits, catastrophes, Campbell's soup cans, Brillo boxes, and flowers. Rear panel illustrated with black-and-white portrait of Warhol in profile. Toning to margins with mild creasing to corners; close to near fine.

$950.00

21. Hannah Wilke

So Help Me Hannah: A Performance (Announcement Card)

New York: A.I.R., 1982. Announcement card (5.75 x 4 inches) for Hannah Wilke's performance at A.I.R. Gallery, the first artist-run gallery for women artists in the United States. This was scheduled to be Wilke's final performance of the work, in which she navigated the gallery nude, while brandishing a pistol, spontaneously interacting with two cameramen and a prerecorded soundtrack of poems, political and philosophical speeches, tones, and TV commercials. Recto fully-illustrated after a black-and-white photograph from her visceral Ray Gun series, captured in the alleys around P.S.1. in 1978. Some waving to card; close to near fine.

$100.00

22. Martin Wong

Martin Wong: Human Instamatic. Portraits While U Wait

Eureka, CA: Chirimoya, circa 1975. Leaflet (9 x 4.5 inches), printed black and green to textured cream paper, illustrated with dollar bill imagery. Scarce rate-card for Martin Wong's "Human Instamatic" portrait service in Eureka, based at the Chirimoya Metals and Textiles art space. Prices listed for both pencil and oil paint portraits, with a $20 fee for house calls. A bright and crisp copy; fine.

$1000.00

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