The 8 Limericks of Gilbert & George the Sculptors
Gilbert & George
London. Art for All. 1971, Apr
The very rare separate collected printing of the verse of all eight of Gilbert & George's 'The Limericks'.
From the edition limited to 25 numbered copies, signed by Gilbert and George in red ink to front cover and numbered in black ink to rear.
'The Limericks', one of the early 'postal sculptures' of Gilbert and George, was issued by mail at intervals in 1971 (the franking of sets reveals they were mailed between April and October) although the cards themselves are dated between March 11th and May 19th, 1971. Each discrete part of the 'postal sculpture' consisted of a folded card of cream or white card with a title, the individual date, a monochrome image and the 'Art for All' imprint to the cover, a printed dedication to the verso (personalised for each dedicatee) and the following recto with a limerick in four two-line stanzas above the artists' signatures, arms and the text 'Goodbye for now'. This separate printing, issued likely during - possibly even before - the mailing of the 'postal sculpture' (it is dated 'April 1971' on the cover), features each of the limericks themselves in the same format on individual sheets of smooth white stock and numbered at foot at centre 1 to 8.
'The Limericks' themselves in their 'postal sculpture' iteration, at least in terms of titles, reflect Gilbert & George's socio-philosophic 'dead-pan' concerns / enthusiasms: boredom, manliness, worldliness, awkwardness, aspiration etc. When presented in this alternate format with its different context, 'The Limericks' as verse alone present themselves in a different light and provoke a different response.
This separate printing, 'The 8 Limericks of Gilbert & George the Sculptors', is of the utmost rarity and we can trace no other examples at auction, on the market or in institutions.
[see 'Gilbert & George's Art Titles 1969 - 2010 in Chronological Order' pg. 5, LE (Limited Edition); see 'The Words of Gilbert & George' pp. 32 - 34 & 305].
From the edition limited to 25 numbered copies, signed by Gilbert and George in red ink to front cover and numbered in black ink to rear.
'The Limericks', one of the early 'postal sculptures' of Gilbert and George, was issued by mail at intervals in 1971 (the franking of sets reveals they were mailed between April and October) although the cards themselves are dated between March 11th and May 19th, 1971. Each discrete part of the 'postal sculpture' consisted of a folded card of cream or white card with a title, the individual date, a monochrome image and the 'Art for All' imprint to the cover, a printed dedication to the verso (personalised for each dedicatee) and the following recto with a limerick in four two-line stanzas above the artists' signatures, arms and the text 'Goodbye for now'. This separate printing, issued likely during - possibly even before - the mailing of the 'postal sculpture' (it is dated 'April 1971' on the cover), features each of the limericks themselves in the same format on individual sheets of smooth white stock and numbered at foot at centre 1 to 8.
'The Limericks' themselves in their 'postal sculpture' iteration, at least in terms of titles, reflect Gilbert & George's socio-philosophic 'dead-pan' concerns / enthusiasms: boredom, manliness, worldliness, awkwardness, aspiration etc. When presented in this alternate format with its different context, 'The Limericks' as verse alone present themselves in a different light and provoke a different response.
This separate printing, 'The 8 Limericks of Gilbert & George the Sculptors', is of the utmost rarity and we can trace no other examples at auction, on the market or in institutions.
[see 'Gilbert & George's Art Titles 1969 - 2010 in Chronological Order' pg. 5, LE (Limited Edition); see 'The Words of Gilbert & George' pp. 32 - 34 & 305].
[8 leaves]. 8vo. (205 x 138 mm). Each leaf with printed letterpress text, a limerick in four two-line stanzas in italics, each numbered 1 to 8 at foot at centre; sheet size: 192 x 127 mm. Loose as issued in original publisher's white paper printed wrappers, printed titles in black and artists' signatures in red to front cover, justification to rear.
#48167
