Double Elephant Press. Kuch, Michael. Disasters of Love - A Defense of Delilah. Hadley, MA Double Elephant Press 2006
One of 60 copies, on various hand-made papers, signed by the artist / author, Michael Kuch. Page size: 17 inches x 12 inches. Bound by Barry Spence: Coptic style, hinged at top, where etchings rest as friezes above the paired columns of text, collage on front cover with marbled paper pillars; between its columns, etched eyes peer through scissor handles snapping at a Bosch bagpipe bas-relief; housed in a box which opens into an easel to view the book as it opens up. The book consists of a poem, lithographs and intaglios, all by Michael Kuch. The story of Samson and Delilah is retold in Delilah's voice. The etchings relate to the poem by myth and metaphor; the entire Hebrew text from Judges is incorporated into these intaglios. The book's images reference well-known historical works of art. Between the columns of text, twelve lithographs from stone depict the brutish Samson engaged in his Herculean labors. Printed on translucent flax over Piranesian ruins, the last two columns crumble. Handmade Czech text sheets were woven at the fore-edge by strips of flax paper to make double-thick pages. The letterpress was by Art Larson and set and cast by Dan Carr and Julia Ferrari in 14 point Didot Lutetia and 12 point Bembo for a Biblical-text appendix. Between text columns, Catherine Ulitsky fenestrated sheets for the lithographs. The lithographs were pulled from stones by Tim Sheesley on handmade gampi torinoko. The printing of the intaglios was also by Art Larsen.
$US3500
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