beaux livres : photo, architecture, art

By declaring that “painting is mental,” Leonardo da Vinci aimed to solidify painting’s place among the elite of the liberal arts, breaking with the artisanal tradition. Taken out of context, da Vinci’s remark has very often become a credo for so-called “conceptual” approaches to art. By referring to it in turn, Regina Virserius also wanted to highlight the conceptual dimension. These ghostly chairs certainly are “mental.” Barely emerging from the shadows that surround them, or conversely, radiating light, they initially cast doubt on their concrete reality.

Conceived around the chairs of renowned designers, the book opens with a first section presenting, without further commentary, photographs of chairs in black, and continues, after the break created in the center of the book by the text sections, with chairs in white. These two sections echo each other as if by projection or equivalence. They are, in a way, variations on the representation (or imprint) of an object that has remained outside the book.

Consistent attention was paid to the reproduction of these works, often situated at the boundaries of black or white and of visibility. This is why we worked with duotone printing and varnishes adapted to the hues of the originals in order to translate, during printing, the subtlety of exhibition prints, often bordering on the limits of perception.

The book’s cover, bound in premium paper, is printed in black on black, continuing the exploration of the limits of perception and making Una Cosa mentale a true artist’s book. This work is the artist’s first monographic catalogue.

Featuring works by:

J. Abraham & D. Jan Rol, François Azambourg, Pierre Charpin, André Dubreuil, Charles & Ray Eames, J. Ferrari-Hardoy, A. Bonet & J. Kurchan, P. Gatti, C. Paolini & F. Teodoro, Pierre Guariche, Arne Jacobsen, Poul Kjaerholm, Patrick Norguet, Verner Panton, Philippe Starck, Robert Mallet-Stevens, Martin Szekely, Roger Tallon.

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