KLEIN, William

Life is Good and Good For You In New York: Trance Witness Revels

Milano: Feltrinelli Editore (1956). First Italian Edition. Quarto. Original booklet laid in. A wild pastiche of images arranged in an ebullient anti sequence, reflecting not only the artist's pre pop predilections, but also his use of the Photostat machine at Vogue's New York office. The freedom this new technology afforded was central to Klein's innate desire to deconstruct documentary. New York, the first of four city books that Klein produced, remains one of the most sought after photography books of the mid-20th century, and a precursor to Warhol, Lorinczy, van der Keuken, van der Elsken and Moriyama. No text accompanying the images. (Parr / Badger, v1, 243; Roth 140-141; Open Book 164-165; Auer 365). Fine in a bright jacket, extremely fresh, but with two significant abrasions on the rear panel (and several smaller ones) that have removed the laminate from the jacket. It's a pity, because from the front, this is nicest copy I have seen in years.