Arcana:

(ROT, DITER) aka (ROTH, DIETER). Rot, Dieter. Hansjorg Mayer, Dieter Roth & H(anns). Sohm, Editors. Stuttgart, GERMANY: Edition Hansjorg Mayer, 1976. First Edition Thus 1/1000. Oblong 4to. Spiral Bound Wrappers in Box. Artist's Books. Near Fine./No Jackets - As Issued.. np (48pp) + np (44pp) + np (2pp), profusely illustrated in color. Text in German and English. Issued in 1976 as the first volume of Edition Hansjorg Mayer's ambitious project of documenting the prolific artist book output of Dieter Roth, "Gesammelte Werke Band 1" reproduces in loving facsimile the innovative Swiss artist's first two projects issued in Reykjavik in the fifties by the artist's Forlag Ed. "Kinderbuch" (1954-57) consists of twenty-eight colorful spiral bound die-cut geometric sheets of stiff paper, and was originally issued in an edition of one hundred copies. "Bilderbuch" (1956) contains sixteen colored die-cut transparent plastic and four white die-cut stiff paper sheets housed in a black celluloid ring binder, and was produced in an edition of only three examples. These are charming book/objects clearly intended for the young at heart of all ages, and compare favorably to Bruno Munari's similar experiments from the same period. These are accompanied by a single loose colophon page all laid into the publisher's printed stiff cardstock clamshell box. An internally most handsome set of the books limited to one thousand unnumbered copies whose box shows some rubbing, a few creases, and a short closed tear along the joint at the head of spine. This is housed in an unprinted wood and masonite slipcase cum shipping carton seemingly supplied by the publisher. . Inventory Number: 026696