Poe's Phantasia: A Selection of Poems and Stories . . . with a Companion Volume, The Raven
San Francisco: Arion Press, 2022. Full Leather. Fine binding. Item #9284
Large quartos. 171, [1]; 27 pp., illus. Limited edition, number 52 of 250 "Fine Press" copies (50 Deluxe copies were also issued). Both volumes finely bound by American design binder, Robin Brandes. Phantasia in black, straight-grained goatskin with crimson doublures and gray suede flyleaves; onlays of distressed mirror mylar composed with image transfers and exotic leathers. The Raven is inversely bound in crimson straight-grained goatskin with black doublures and gray suede flyleaves. Striking raven wing spans from fore-edge of the front board around the spine to midway on the rear board—"feathers" composed of textured fabric with a suede finish and distressed mirror mylar. Fine copies, each in crimson cloth clamshell. Prospectus laid in.
A remarkable production from the Arion Press presenting some of Poe's most recognizable tales and poems, here illustrated by American artist Natalie Frank—color as well as black and white; both full page and in-text illustrations printed in offset lithography and overprinted by letterpress. Brandes's restrained bindings are perfectly suited to these books, rendering visually the same experience one feels when reading Poe and navigating the uncertain terrain he creates—clear enough that one recognizes the landscape but subtly disquieting. The binder writes in her artist's statement: "In his short lifetime, Edgar Allan Poe, became the pre-eminent chronicler of the unquiet mind. A mixture of unusual materials and striking color palette were used to emanate an enigmatic yet dramatic presentation. The haunting cover portrait I created for Poe's Phantasia is a mosaic suggesting shapes of 2 ravens. Image transfers of Poe's eyes on distressed mirror mylar and onlays of exotic leathers evoke Poe's unquiet, disturbed mind filled with illusions and wishing for the return of lost love. For the covers of The Raven, I designed the raven wing feathers to be a bold presentation for one of the most translated poems in history."
Brandes has been binding for nearly a decade and already has a notable resume, having been exhibited at Arion Press, The American Bookbinders Museum, The Book Club of California, Guild of Book Workers, San Francisco Center for the Book, and more. Brandes's binding of 2020 Vision was the First Place Winner of the Rocky Mountain Guild of Book Workers 2023 Traveling Exhibition.
Price: $4,900.00