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SEMINA CULTURE: WALLACE BERMAN & HIS CIRCLE
(BERMAN, WALLACE) (SEMINA). McKenna, Kristine, Michael Duncan, Stephen Fredman & Raymond Foye. Foreword by Elsa Longhauser. New York & Santa Monica, CA. 2005 (2015).: D.A.P. (Distributed Art Publishers) & Santa Monica Museum of Art. First Edition. 4to. Pictorial Boards. Artist Monograph. As New/No Jacket - As Issued. 384pp, profusely illustrated in color and b&w. Designed by Lorraine Wild and Stuart Smith, Green Dragon Office. With a chronology and exhibition checklist. "The quintessential visual artist of the Beat era, Wallace Berman (1926-1976) remains one of the best kept secrets of the late 20th century. A crucial figure in California's postwar underground, Berman was a catalyst who traveled through many different worlds, transferring ideas and dreams from one circle to the next. His larger community is the subject of "Semina Culture: Wallace Berman & His Circle", the hardbound catalogue to a traveling exhibition organized by the Santa Monica Museum of Art including previously unexhibited works by fifty-two artists. Anchoring this publication is "Semina", a free-form art and poetry journal that Berman published in nine issues between 1955 and 1964. Although privately made and distributed to a mere handful of friends and sympathizers, it was a brilliant compendium of the most interesting artists and poets of its time. Showcasing the individuals who came to define a still potent strand of post-war beat counter-culture, Semina Culture subtly outlines the energies, values, and foibles of this fascinating circle. Also reproduced here are works by various artists and writers who appear in Berman's own photographs - many of which were recently developed from vintage negatives and will be seen here for the first time. Edited by Michael Duncan and Kristine McKenna, it includes paintings and drawings by Cameron, John Altoon, Jay DeFeo, Bruce Conner and Joan Brown; collages and assemblages by Robert Alexander, Stuart Perkoff, John Reed, George Herms and Jess; poetry by Robert Duncan, David Meltzer, Philip Lamantia and John Wieners; and photographs by Charles Brittin, Walter Hopps and Patricia Jordan". A brand new, pristine example of the 2015 second printing of this beautifully designed, extraordinary document still in the publisher's shrinkwrap. PLEASE NOTE: Additional shipping costs are required for this item beyond our standard rates due to its weight - we will inform you of the applicable amount at time of purchase. 1-938922-72-7 Inventory Number: 024226