Poems by Frank O'Hara with Lithographs Willem de Kooning Limited Editions Club

  

Poems by Frank O'Hara with Lithographs by Willem de Kooning. Hardbound in Black Nigerian Goatskin Leather, Housed in Publisher's Black Fabric Clamshell Case.

Published in a Limited Edition of 550 copies, this copy being #550, and is the printer's copy of the letterpress printer who printed the full text of this edition. Book measures 18" x 22".

The type is Monotype Bodoni, cast by the Golgonooza Letterfoundry. Hand composed by Arthur Larson, and printed letterpress by Daniel Keleher at Wild Carrot Letterpress. The charcoal drawings were transferred from the film to lithographic plates at American Atelier by Benjamin Shiff and printed at Trestle Editions on Japanese Kitakata. The prints were hand-torn and applied with intaglio presses to the text page at Wingate Studio and Renaissance Press.

Contains 17 original lithographs by Willem de Kooning. The lithographs were originally created in 1967 as charcoal drawings on mylar sheets, to illustrate O'Hara's'Ode to Willem de Kooning'. Only three of De Kooning's drawings were used in the MOMA publication. In this LEC publication the complete original suite of 17 drawings were printed for the first time to illustrate the Club's edition of the O'Hara poems. They are accompanied by thirteen poems by O'Hara.

The colophon/limitation page features a reproduction of Willem de Kooning's signature. It is NOT hand-signed by Willem de Kooning. According to the publisher: Unfortunately, by the time the finished prints were ready for signature, a substantial deterioration in Willem de Kooning's physical ability to sign prevented the artist from hand signing each and every print. Therefore, the publisher has substituted a facsimile copy of a bon à tirer signature, signed or authorized by Willem de Kooning.

Book is in Very Good Condition, showing light discoloration / difference in texture of a narrow strip of leather cover going down the front of the book (visible in picture). Overall, a very nice copy of this rare and sought after Limited Editions Club title. Slip Case Condition: Very Good. This is an oversize edition.

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