Chuck Close, N.Y., NY

A Couple of Ways of Doing Something, 2003
Praise Poem for Elizabeth Murray

A Couple of Ways of Doing Something top

Booklyn is proud to represent Chuck Close's and Bob Holman's astounding new book.

Chuck Close and Lorna Simpson

A Couple of Ways of Doing Something, 2003
A book of 20 portraits by Chuck Close with 20 poems by Bob Holman
Each portrait: 16 x 12 inches; Overall dimensions of book: 16 1/2 x 13 x 2 1/2 inches
Edition of 75, signed and numbered with one signed self-portrait of Chuck Close
$18,000

In 1999, Chuck Close began taking photographs using the daguerreotype process, working with Jerry Spagnoli in his New York studio. Over the next two years he photographed Cindy Sherman, James Turrell, Gregory Crewdson, Elizabeth Murray, Kiki Smith, Ellen Gallagher, James Siena, Laurie Anderson, Philip Glass, Cecily Brown, Lyle Ashton-Harris, Bob Holman, Carroll Dunham, Lisa Yuskavage, Andres Serrano, Elizabeth Peyton, Terry Winters, Lorna Simpson, Robert Wilson and himself for this book.

Lyrical and concrete praise poems by Bob Holman, a celebrated New York School poet, were written to accompany these photographs and were completed in 2001-2003. Bob Holman recorded a spoken word version of each poem at Village Digital in New York City for a compact disc that is enclosed in each book.

The daguerreotypes were scanned and printed digitally by David Adamson in Washington, D.C. Each print is coated by a screened varnish with UV inhibitors to protect from light and reduce scuffing. Typography and letterpress printing was done by Booklyn artist Ruth Lingen in New York City. Mark Wagner, Booklyn artist and Director of Publications was a production assistant. Each edition was bound by Mark Tomlinson (in Easthampton, MA) in four elegant accordion fold books held in a box with a colophon folder that contains a Chuck Close self-portrait. Thus, while the book is eminently readable, it is also readily displayable for gallery exhibition. The book is also available as a portfolio of twenty two-page spreads each featuring one portrait and the accompanying poem.

The paper is Somerset. The typefaces are foundry Bulmer and Bodoni, set by hand. The cloth is Buckram.

A Couple of Ways of Doing Something was produced in an edition of 75 signed and numbered copies, with 20 artist proofs, 8 collaborator proofs and 8 hors de commerce proofs.

An enclosed single self-portrait of the artist is signed and designated with a corresponding roman numeral.

A limited number of this amazing book are available for acquisition and exhibition, please contact Marshall Weber at Booklyn for more information.

Phillip Glass and Elizabeth Murray

Praise Poem for Elizabeth Murray top

Elizabeth Murray she deserves more of these degrees she needs
One for every color on her palette which she spins like a plate-
Spinner a palettespinner! Colors spill all over her canvases yeah
Sure and hey hey hey the canvases are created by the colors
splashing
Spilling they collect into the shapes follow these words like her
paintings
Follow those shapes and give Elizabeth Murray a big round of
more
Honorary degrees and high honors her paintings are music too
opera
She listens to opera a lot of opera I have to drown it out to write
you can
See Donizetti Gluck Mozart Charpentier Bellini opera all over her
Paintings to escape let's dive into an Elizabeth Murray painting
c'mon
C'mon! Dive in a cup! You dive first. Ok. I'll jump first dive head
First into swirl whirlpool I dive you paddle with one of those
spoons
She does and we'll not escape (Chorus: no we'll not escape) we'll
not escape
(Chorus: no We'll never escape) till Elizabeth Murray gets more of
these
Award-things or we drown first, in art, in an Elizabeth Murray
painting,
Whichever comes first or maybe the oral tradition will make a
comeback
Thanks to poems like this and also the poetry club I'm trying to
start on
The Bowery and looking for investors to Buy Real Estate for Art
New Model
If interested see me after poem meanwhile we're all dippin in the
cup kickin in
The cups (meanwhile meanwhile kickin in the cups) (call and
response) we give
Praise! Oh yes praise hey ho I do love this griot job composing
praise poems
Is as easy as saying Elizabeth Murray totally great artist Dr.
Elizabeth Rose
Murray we are drowning in your Art and handing over prizes
doctorates
Fellowships awards for what you give us is Incalculable and all we
do
In return is praise praise praise which humbly means thank you to
you

Bob Holman

This page is maintained by Marshall Weber.