Beach, Mary

The Mystery of the Squeaky Floor: Collagen (Collages) with: Original Collage Artwork

ISBN: 9783941126305
Ostheim/Rhon, Germany: Verlag Peter Engstler, 2011; 1999. First German Edition; Original Artwork. Softcover; Single Sheet. Including original collage artwork signed & dated by Mary Beach. A unique pairing of two collectibles by Mary Beach (1919-2006), who along with her husband Claude Pelieu (1934-2002) was at the Paris-based center of cutting-edge cut-up writing & collage art. She was also the mother of Pamela Beach Plymell & therefore the mother-in-law of Legendary Literary Outlaw Extraordinaire Charles Plymell. The Beach-Pelieus intersected & collaborated with the Plymells, William S. Burroughs (who was of course her cut-up mentor & inspiration) & many others. (1) The Mystery of the Squeaky Floor, a portfolio of collage artworks produced during 1996-1998. The collages are reproduced in bold, high-quality color & are printed on recto of page leaves, with blank versos on opposite pages of each reproduction. There is no introduction or afterword, only colophon on final page which indicates a preceding French edition. Large format softcover original that showcases Mary Beach's startling, riveting, evocative artworks. (2) An original, untitled 1999 collage artwork by Mary Beach on thick white sheet (total size 11" x 14"), hand-signed & dated in pencil just below lower right edge of artwork ("Mary Beach '99). The collage is exactly in the same vein as & created just after those in (1) above. Among the cut-out images in this collage is that of the iconic "Gumby" figure, over a desert-brush background. On otherwise blank white verso, there are the following: At upper right edge, "MB 194" hand-written in thick blue ink; "Mary Beach" stamped below middle of upper edge; light blue stick-note with "#48/ cardboard box 001/ Mary Beach/ box 6 (in square)" hand-written in pencil affixed to upper right corner. An outstanding art book, & an original contemporary artwork; a most desirable & collectible Mary Beach bundle. (1) in very fine condition with only a bit of rubbing to illustrated front, blank white back covers & spine; lightest wear & a few tiny bumps at edges & corners of same. Interior very fine with only tiny bumps at corners of a few page leaves. (2) in very fine condition with slight instances of bumping, creasing & warpage always common to the collage process; bit of roughness to left edge of artwork where a full page with the background image was removed from a book or magazine; small amount of rubbing & spotting at blank margins of sheet around artwork; very light wear & a few tiny bumps to edges & corners of same. Very Fine; Very Fine. [Item #3530]

Price: $100.00