I, Claudius & Claudius the God, 2 Volumes, Unique Bindings by Richard Tuttle

Binding Details:  As with all of Richard Tuttle’s pieces, this is a one of a kind binding that captures the spirit of the book and returns us to a time when books were beautiful to display as well as read. In a world of mediocrity and mass produced books, he believes important literary works are special and should be treasured and passed on to future generations.

Both books have been rebound by Richard Tuttle in marble tiles over wooden boards with snake skin spines. The endpapers were hand-painted by Richard Tuttle and the titles appear on printed labels affixed to the spine. The bindings were done in 2012.

Each of the books measure approximately 10” x 6.5”

Book Details:  These are the Folio Society editions of “I, Claudius” published in 1994 and “Claudius the God and His Wife Messalina” published in 1995. The books feature color illustrations by Neil Packer as well family tree inserts that are bound into the book. Internally, both books are in FINE condition.

Artist Statements: Included with the books are two signed artist statements by Richard Tuttle on the making of “I, Claudius and Claudius the God”.

About the Artist: Richard Tuttle is a painter, writer, graphic designer, carpenter, bookbinder and lover of literature. For the past 20 years, he has combined his many interests to create one of a kind works of art that merge the written word with fine leather, paper, paint, wood and veneer. These original book bindings have been exhibited in numerous galleries and were featured in a PBS documentary on the Chicago Art beat. Richard describes his work as follows:  “I make literary artifacts. They are designed to pull books down off the shelf and display them in the salon, gallery or home as if they were works of art, which, of course, they are. Whether binding books with leather, paper, paint, wood, and found artifacts or building sculptures to encase the volumes, I seek to find a perspective that shouts out a piece of the essence of the literary work. I try to put myself in the author's or character's mind to say something about the time it was written in; the attitude that is explored and expressed; the magic that makes it a work of art. While I obviously respect and admire the books I work on, the humor, wit and raw energy I find so attractive in their works leads me to places that some might call disrespectful, but are, for me, essential parts of these literary works. Motivated by Marcel Duchamp's attempts to elevate the object into art and William Blake's efforts to remake his world and James Joyce's efforts to include all culture and all action in one whole: Motivated by the ongoing conversation of Jazz musicians between its earliest practitioners and its most avante garde practitioners: Motivated by the great world library of "what we are" as extolled by Jorge Luis Borges: Motivated by the desire to live in a world that is conscious of itself and conscious of its ability to create itself: I create these art objects out of books in order be surrounded by a physical environment that reflects the world of ideas I want to live in.”

Condition Report: The bindings are in FINE condition.

Photographs of each of the books as well as the hand painted endpapers appear in the photo section of the listing.