Arcana:

(BALDESSARI, JOHN). Sterne, Laurence, Melvyn New & John Baldessari. San Francisco: Arion Press, 1988. First Edition 1/400. Stout 8vo. Full Leather in Slipcase. Livre D'Artiste. Fine/No Jackets - As Issued. 624 + 46 + np, profusely illustrated in color and b&w. This twenty-sixth publication of Andrew Hoyem's esteemed Arion Press is a beautifully constructed and executed hand-letterpress reprinting of Lawrence Sterne's classic of English literature, "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman" that has been newly-illustrated by the noted Conceptual artist John Baldessari. Remaining faithful to the delightful typographic eccentricities and variant spellings of Sterne's own self-published editions from the 1760s, the main text of the novel has been set in Caslon Old Style - the typeface utilized by Sterne for the original printings - and bound in a single, substantial three-quarter green goatskin over lovely hand-marbled boards volume. This is accompanied by literary scholar Melvyn New's informative forty-six page essay "Lawrence Sterne and Tristram Shandy" separately bound in boards. The crowning achievement of this ambitious undertaking however is the third volume which contains John Baldessari's wry visual commentary of photo-collaged and altered found photographs and film stills in the form of a lengthy accordion-fold leporello that is anchored between green gilt-stamped boards. The three volumes are housed in a gilt-stamped green paper over board slipcase along with the additional Arion Press pre-publication prospectus laid in. A brand new, most handsome example of standard edition of this exquisite, uncommon item limited to four hundred unnumbered copies BOLDLY SIGNED "John Baldessari" in pencil on the colophon of illustrated volume, as issued. Inventory Number: 025136