German translation by Malcolm Green, introduced by Alastair Brotchie and Malcolm Green.
“Since my first reading I have been convinced that An Anecdoted Topography of Chance is one of the great books of the century, a comic masterpiece that touches significantly on many areas of human thought. It is a maquette for a realisation of the dream that human intelligence might take any fragment of the world and reconstruct the universe from the evidence it provides.” — Richard Hamilton in The Spectator
An Anecdoted Topography of Chance is now acknowledged as the most important, and most entertaining “Artists’ Book” of the post-war period, and this edition is the definitive appearance of a unique collaborative work by four artists associated with various avant-garde art movements, including Fluxus and Nouveau Réalisme. What is the Topography? Hard to explain an idea so simple yet so brilliantly executed. Following a rambling conversation with his dear friend Robert Filliou, Daniel Spoerri one day mapped the objects lying at random on a table in his room, adding a rigorously scientific description of each. These objects subsequently evoked associations, memories, anecdotes, not only from the original author, but from his friends as well: a beguiling creation was born, and each time a new edition of the book appeared it grew larger and more elaborate. Many of the principal participants in Fluxus make an appearance, and texts by Higgins, Jouffroy, Kaprow, Restany and Tinguely are included, among others. It is a novel of digressions in the manner of Tristram Shandy, an archaeological game, a poem to the arbitrary, an encyclopaedia, a cabinet of wonders, but above all else, it is a celebration of friendship and creativity. The Topography both personifies and pre-dates the spirit of the Fluxus movement, and constitutes one of the strangest and most compelling insights into the artist’s life. From out of the banal detritus of the everyday a virtual autobiography emerges: of four perceptive, eloquent and engaging members of the human species. Atlas Press, a new version of Arkhive 4. There is a signed limited edition of the first Atlas edition in “Rare”. 2016, ISBN: 978-1-900565-73-8, 274pp, hardback with decorated endpapers, illustrated in colour and b+w.]]>German translation by Malcolm Green, introduced by Alastair Brotchie and Malcolm Green.
“Since my first reading I have been convinced that An Anecdoted Topography of Chance is one of the great books of the century, a comic masterpiece that touches significantly on many areas of human thought. It is a maquette for a realisation of the dream that human intelligence might take any fragment of the world and reconstruct the universe from the evidence it provides.” — Richard Hamilton in The Spectator
An Anecdoted Topography of Chance is now acknowledged as the most important, and most entertaining “Artists’ Book” of the post-war period, and this edition is the definitive appearance of a unique collaborative work by four artists associated with various avant-garde art movements, including Fluxus and Nouveau Réalisme. What is the Topography? Hard to explain an idea so simple yet so brilliantly executed. Following a rambling conversation with his dear friend Robert Filliou, Daniel Spoerri one day mapped the objects lying at random on a table in his room, adding a rigorously scientific description of each. These objects subsequently evoked associations, memories, anecdotes, not only from the original author, but from his friends as well: a beguiling creation was born, and each time a new edition of the book appeared it grew larger and more elaborate. Many of the principal participants in Fluxus make an appearance, and texts by Higgins, Jouffroy, Kaprow, Restany and Tinguely are included, among others. It is a novel of digressions in the manner of Tristram Shandy, an archaeological game, a poem to the arbitrary, an encyclopaedia, a cabinet of wonders, but above all else, it is a celebration of friendship and creativity. The Topography both personifies and pre-dates the spirit of the Fluxus movement, and constitutes one of the strangest and most compelling insights into the artist’s life. From out of the banal detritus of the everyday a virtual autobiography emerges: of four perceptive, eloquent and engaging members of the human species. Atlas Press, a new version of Arkhive 4. There is a signed limited edition of the first Atlas edition in “Rare”. 2016, ISBN: 978-1-900565-73-8, 274pp, hardback with decorated endpapers, illustrated in colour and b+w.]]>Out of print, very few copies indeed.
For the actual content of this book see the entry for the ordinary edition.
This edition is limited to 100 numbered copies for sale, with twenty copies hors commerce lettered A to T, reserved for the authors and publishers. The limited edition has an attached dustwrapper of hand-made paper signed by Daniel Spoerri, Emmett Williams, Dieter Roth and Roland Topor and subsequently blind-printed with the Arkhive symbols. A matching folder, bearing the stamp which features in the description of object 6 of the Topography, and similarly blind-printed, contains an almost life-size print of Spoerri’s assemblage Cubist View of my Room, No. 13, Hotel Carcassonne commissioned jointly by Atlas Press and the Kunstmuseum, Solothurn.The total edition of the print is 250 copies comprising 120 copies numbered 1 to 120 and A to T, reserved for the Atlas Press edition of the Topography, and 100 copies numbered I to C, reserved for the museum; there is a maximum of thirty artist’s proofs. The print is a six colour screenprint by Uldry Serigraphie of Hinterkappelen (Berne) measuring 170 by 77.5 cm. printed on 105 g. Tyvek, a high quality art paper specially made for printing maps, being effectively untearable and designed to be folded. The Atlas Press portion of the edition has been folded into the original 55 photographs comprising the print. The book and print-folder are contained in a plain black cloth 2 part slipcase measuring 24 x 21 x 6 cm., blind-printed with the Arkhive symbols, printing and assembly being undertaken by Bookworks of London. The book itself measures 23 x 21 cm., is printed on a fine matt coated paper and includes a foldout map of the site of the Topography. Atlas Arkhive 4, special edition of 100 copies signed and with a signed screenprint by Daniel Spoerri. WE CAN SUPPLY FURTHER PHOTOGRAPHS ON REQUEST, BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE FOR VIEW BY APPOINTMENT AT BOOKARTBOOKSHOP. 1995, ISBN: , 240pp, Paperbound book and print in handmade slipcase.]]>Out of print, very few copies indeed.
For the actual content of this book see the entry for the ordinary edition.
This edition is limited to 100 numbered copies for sale, with twenty copies hors commerce lettered A to T, reserved for the authors and publishers. The limited edition has an attached dustwrapper of hand-made paper signed by Daniel Spoerri, Emmett Williams, Dieter Roth and Roland Topor and subsequently blind-printed with the Arkhive symbols. A matching folder, bearing the stamp which features in the description of object 6 of the Topography, and similarly blind-printed, contains an almost life-size print of Spoerri’s assemblage Cubist View of my Room, No. 13, Hotel Carcassonne commissioned jointly by Atlas Press and the Kunstmuseum, Solothurn.The total edition of the print is 250 copies comprising 120 copies numbered 1 to 120 and A to T, reserved for the Atlas Press edition of the Topography, and 100 copies numbered I to C, reserved for the museum; there is a maximum of thirty artist’s proofs. The print is a six colour screenprint by Uldry Serigraphie of Hinterkappelen (Berne) measuring 170 by 77.5 cm. printed on 105 g. Tyvek, a high quality art paper specially made for printing maps, being effectively untearable and designed to be folded. The Atlas Press portion of the edition has been folded into the original 55 photographs comprising the print. The book and print-folder are contained in a plain black cloth 2 part slipcase measuring 24 x 21 x 6 cm., blind-printed with the Arkhive symbols, printing and assembly being undertaken by Bookworks of London. The book itself measures 23 x 21 cm., is printed on a fine matt coated paper and includes a foldout map of the site of the Topography. Atlas Arkhive 4, special edition of 100 copies signed and with a signed screenprint by Daniel Spoerri. WE CAN SUPPLY FURTHER PHOTOGRAPHS ON REQUEST, BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE FOR VIEW BY APPOINTMENT AT BOOKARTBOOKSHOP. 1995, ISBN: , 240pp, Paperbound book and print in handmade slipcase.]]>Out of print.
German translation by Malcolm Green, introduced by Alastair Brotchie and Malcolm Green.
For description see entry for current edition. Atlas Arkhive 4, reprinted as a hardback in 2014. There is a special edition, signed with an original print. 240 pp, 23 x 120.8 cm, paperback with foldout map, illustrated, 1995. 1995, ISBN: 0-947757-88-0, 240pp, paperback with foldout map.]]>Out of print.
German translation by Malcolm Green, introduced by Alastair Brotchie and Malcolm Green.
For description see entry for current edition. Atlas Arkhive 4, reprinted as a hardback in 2014. There is a special edition, signed with an original print. 240 pp, 23 x 120.8 cm, paperback with foldout map, illustrated, 1995. 1995, ISBN: 0-947757-88-0, 240pp, paperback with foldout map.]]>