Spirit Cooking with essential aphrodisiac recipes
Abramovic, Marina
Santa Monica. Edition Jacob Samuel. 1996
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Marina Abramovic's very rare 'performance' book.
From the edition limited to 21 copies, signed and numbered by Ambramovic with this one of the first 8 copies issued bound in vellum; the remaining examples were issued unbound.
Abramovic performed this book when creating it, spending two days locked in a room composing the etchings and text. The final work includes her DNA - she used her saliva mixed with ink for the printing of the etchings - and she is reputed to have printed the plates using her fingernails as the burin and the pressure of her fingers and arms as the press.
'Jacob Samuel, a Santa Monica publisher who specialises in artists' books and portfolios, regularly invites contemporary artists to produce a book with him. He approached Abramovic for this in 1996. In those years Samuel had developed a portable set of implements for making aquatints. He brought these with him to Abramovic's atelier in Amsterdam. According to the publisher, Abramovic then locked herself into an empty room for two days, writing text and making etchings from morning to night. The result of this performance-like work process is 'Spirit Cooking with Essential Aphrodisiac Recipes', a 'cookbook' for the ultimate in erotic pleasure. Her recipes are surprising and amusing, although they often look like short poems. One of Abramovic's formulas [sic] is 'Mix fresh breast milk / with / fresh sperm milk / drink on earthquake nights'. In some cases Abramovic has represented several recipes in one etching, leading to a fascinating interplay of ingredients.' (Caldic Collection catalogue).
[see Caldic Collection I, pp. 38 - 41].
From the edition limited to 21 copies, signed and numbered by Ambramovic with this one of the first 8 copies issued bound in vellum; the remaining examples were issued unbound.
Abramovic performed this book when creating it, spending two days locked in a room composing the etchings and text. The final work includes her DNA - she used her saliva mixed with ink for the printing of the etchings - and she is reputed to have printed the plates using her fingernails as the burin and the pressure of her fingers and arms as the press.
'Jacob Samuel, a Santa Monica publisher who specialises in artists' books and portfolios, regularly invites contemporary artists to produce a book with him. He approached Abramovic for this in 1996. In those years Samuel had developed a portable set of implements for making aquatints. He brought these with him to Abramovic's atelier in Amsterdam. According to the publisher, Abramovic then locked herself into an empty room for two days, writing text and making etchings from morning to night. The result of this performance-like work process is 'Spirit Cooking with Essential Aphrodisiac Recipes', a 'cookbook' for the ultimate in erotic pleasure. Her recipes are surprising and amusing, although they often look like short poems. One of Abramovic's formulas [sic] is 'Mix fresh breast milk / with / fresh sperm milk / drink on earthquake nights'. In some cases Abramovic has represented several recipes in one etching, leading to a fascinating interplay of ingredients.' (Caldic Collection catalogue).
[see Caldic Collection I, pp. 38 - 41].
[32 unnumbered leaves]. 4to. (322 x 287 mm). Letterpress title, text, justification and 12 original etchings by Marina Abramovic, each accompanied by a 'recipe'; sheet size: 316 x 276 mm. Original publisher's full white vellum, title in white to front board, original slipcase.
#43060
