Arcana:

(GURSKY, ANDREAS) (DUBUISSON, JEAN). Gursky, Andreas, Hans Irrek & Ursula Trubenbach. Frankfurt am Main & Stuttgart, GERMANY: Portikus & Oktagon Verlag, 1995. First Edition. Oblong Folio. Wrappers in Printed Box. Photography Monograph. Near Fine/No Jacket - As Issued. np (40 + 32 + 6pp), 20 color and 10 b&w illustrations. Text in German. Designed by Kuhle und Mozer. Published in conjunction with a 1995 exhibition at Portikus Frankfurt am Main, this elegant, ambitiously designed, oversized publication is devoted to Andreas Gursky's monumental photograph of architect Jean Dubuisson's quarter-mile long Montparnasse housing block. A single 10 ¼ x 18 ¾" color reproduction on heavy stock is laid into a silver folder that bears the names of the more than seven hundred and fifty families inhabiting the massive housing project. This is accompanied by two booklets in silver wrappers: "Texte" - which contains an essay by Hans Irrek as well as interviews with Dubuisson and three Montparnasse dwellers, and "Images" - which reproduces grainy full page voyeuristic blown-up details of interiors of the individual apartments. These three printed components are housed in a shallow printed cardboard box. The interior contents are all in Near Fine condition with no notable flaws. The matte black paper-covered lower portion of the box along with the silver lid show some light overall wear, scuffs and minor abrasions, but no splits or tears to the corners as one typically sees. Due to its silver paper and fragile construction "Montparnasse" (cited on page 275 of Martin Parr and Gerry Badger's "The Photobook: A History Volume II") rarely turns up in beautiful condition, but this is truly a most handsome example of this uncommon item that looks far nicer in hand than it describes. 3-89611-003-9 Inventory Number: 020400