Arcana:

(RUSCHA, EDWARD). Ruscha, Edward. Los Angeles: The Lapis Press, 1988. First Edition 1/35. Elephant Folio. Full Leather in Slipcase. Artist's Book. Very Good/No Jacket - As Issued. np (28pp), 1 letterpress colophon + title page, 8 color etchings. In a protective clear acetate dustwrapper. "Flipping, Kicking, Howling, Rolling, Sitting, Standing, Climbing, Telling" is the oversized, extraordinarily luxe artist's book published in 1988 by Sam Francis' Lapis Press containing eight original etchings by Edward Ruscha. Each "silhouette" image was pulled by master printer Jacob Samuel at The Litho Shop on a 20 x 16" sheet of Rives BFK paper. The title and colophon pages are printed by hand-letterpress, and along with the etchings, four blank preliminaries, and endpapers have been hand-bound by Klaus Ullrich S. Rotzscher in an exquisite debossed, full dark green smooth calfskin. The book is housed in a stylish matching calf and linen slipcase. An internally most handsome example of the first and only printing (print entries 149-156 in Siri Engberg's "Edward Ruscha: Editions 1959-1999") of this exquisite, exceedingly uncommon volume - only two copies are currently cited in OCLC WorldCat - BOLDLY NUMBERED (35/35) AND SIGNED "Ed Ruscha 1988" in pencil on the rear colophon, as issued, showing some very mild wear to the front and rear boards along with some rubbing and slight discoloration to the leather spine. The slipcase bears some rubbing and abrading to the leather trim at the heel and crown of the opening along with some minor wear to the linen along the seam of the bottom edge. It has been priced accordingly. This is accompanied by a pristine example of the hors commerce 20 x 16" Lapis Press promotional broadside cum print for the book featuring a colored etching by Ruscha of the letter "B" (entry M-59 in Siri Engberg's "Edward Ruscha: Editions 1959-1999") that was issued in an edition of forty numbered but unsigned copies. Inventory Number: 024157