Production Narrative

by J. Drucker

I'm sure I set the type for this, though it's possible Geoff had it set. I can't recall, nor can I recall if I did the layout and mockup. Certainly I did the drawings and helped with the cover design, typography, etc. but the project was fairly straightforward so if I did provide the labor, it didn't make much difference to the outcome. In those days, of course, all texts had to be keyboarded again for typesetting. The typescript manuscript was only a source.

Critical Analysis

by J. Drucker

Design Features

typographic: Nice, clean Garamond from the phototypesetter, probably Compugraphic.

imagery: Hand drawn images in ballpoint.

graphical: Conventional design.

development: At the level of story only.

Critical Discussion

This book barely qualifies as an artist's book so elaborate discussion from a critical point of view would address the writing and texts, their poetics and prosaics, not the design or structure of the embodied form.

Italy

Agents

Johanna Drucker

type: initiating

role:
artist
author

nationality:
born: United States
active: United States
citizenship: United States

dates:
birth: 1952-05-30

Publication Information

edition type: editioned

publisher: The Figures

place: Berkeley, CA

dates:
conception: 1977-00-00:1979-00-00
publication: 1980-00-00

edition size: 500 copies

Measurements

horizontal: 5.25 inches closed

vertical: 7.25 inches closed

depth: .2 inches closed

Production Information

production means:
offset (local)

binding: mashine sewn (local)

substrate:
bookBlock: paper unknown

media:
ink (local)

Appearance

format: codex (AAT)

cover: The front cover, 5.35" x 7.25", is white with plain black type. The front cover features a pen and ink drawing of a satchel, and the back cover features a pen and ink drawing of a belt.

color: no

Content

pagination: paginated 56 pages

numbered?: unnumbered

signed?: unsigned

Colophon

500 copies of Italy printed September 1980 of which 7 are numbered and signed by the author; each with an original drawing tipped in.

General Comments

Perfectly fine example of the offset books we produced at the West Coast Print Center, or through the "Michigan" printers, usually on grants from NEA, in this period of the 1970s through 1980s. [J. Drucker]