Visible Cities from High Tide Press, based on Italo Calvino’s work, a Venetian fable
(High Tide Press) Visible Cities. With excerpts from ‘Invisible Cities’ by Italo Calvino. Translated from the Italian by William Weaver. Prints by John Ross. New York. [1993.] 18″ x 13″. 12 architectural collagraph images, each on an 18″ x 26″ spread. Plates printed by John Ross with the help of Tim Ross on a Brand etching press at the High Tide Press on Rives BFK; text in Palatino printed on a Vandercook 219 press. Headlines and display type are from the High Tide collection of antique wood type. Bound in 30-year-old cream handmade paper from India. Black cloth dropback box by James DiMarcantonio with original cream collagraph plate and thick card title label laid-on in recess of box front. Box lined with black and white marbled paper. In an edition of 25 signed copies this is one of 3 Special copies in color.
Fine.
Ross writes: “A student in my New School [N.Y.] printmaking workshop saw some of my architectural fantasy prints and asked if I were affected by Italo Calvino’s writings. When I said “No” she brought me a copy of Calvino’s Invisible Cities and I found a distinct relationship between his fables and my prints. It was possible to complete my Visible Cities using Calvino’s text and my images without having to design a single new work. All the prints were just waiting for his text. This was one of the rare times when I paid Calvino’s publisher the required royalties to use 10 paragraphs of his writings. We had both been inspired by the magic of Venice.”
Related items: Catalogue 37 - Summer 2009, Fine Printing & Private Press, Literature, High Tide Press, Italo Calvino, John Ross