Künstlerbuch | Artists’ book: Ed Ruscha. Business Cards, 1968

Künstlerbuch | Artists’ book: Ed Ruscha. Business Cards, 1968

Collaboration with Billy Al Bengston

Black offset printing on white paper

22.2 x 14.3 x 1 cm

• Edition | 1000
• Exterior | Softcover, faux wood-grain commercial paper stock wrapped around pages; black-and-white photograph attached to center front with black paper mounting corners
• Binding | Latigo (a single leather lace running through 2 drilled holes, both ends knotted on front cover); bound by hand by the artists
• Pages | 32 (14 pages with 21 photographic illustrations, 6 text pages, 9 blank pages, 1 page with business card and reproduction of photograph stapled to paper, 1 title page, 1 copyright page)
• Inscription | Cover of each book signed by Bengston „B.A.B“ and by Ruscha „Edward Ruscha;“ location of signatures varies from book to book
• Printer | G.R. Hutter Lithography, Burbank, California
• Printer | Vaughan Printing Co., Santa Monica, California
• Publisher | Heavy Industry Publications, Hollywood
• Commends | Bengston’s business card is crumpled in each copy of the book as a nod to the „Dento“ series of paintings he did in the 1950s. Photographs in the book are by Larry Bell and Ken Prince.
• The current price for Business Cards is about 2.500-4000€, available on abebooks

Pictures and Information are taken from:

Edward Ruscha. EDITIONS 1959-1999 | Catalogue Raisonne, Vol. 1: Prints, Books Misc; Vol. 2: Essays, Entries, Information, Minneapolis 1999.