BUNK. 1972. ONE OF 50 DELUXE COPIES WITH EVERY SHEET SIGNED BY PAOLOZZI (EXCEPT ONE).

London: Snail Chemicals, 1972.

Original somewhat worn printed blue card folder content of 45 offset lithographs and colour screen prints (sizes vary from 19 x 15cm to 41 x 29cm) along with  title page, text and justification, list of plates, and two leaves of introductory text.

A complete collection of this important pop art portfolio with many of Paolozzi’s best collage work taken from a lifetime of collecting scrapbook elements from mostly American magazines which he began to create in 1947 and finally completed in 1952. He then based his groundbreaking 1952 lecture called Bunk! at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London on the resultant work. That lecture and the Bunk images are often regarded as the very first of the British (and international) pop art works. The portfolio here reproduces those collages by a mix of lithography and screen print.

All 45 prints are present with their backing boards (where mounted by the artist) however a few of the images have been lifted from the mounting paper where the paper hinges keeping the image in place have torn (but do NOT affect the sheet). Some glued images are loose but overall this is in VG state and no image is damaged. The images are a mix of offset lithography, silkscreen and hand applied collages.

This set is unusual in that it is an unnumbered deluxe set aside from the edition of only 50 which is signed and dated “1972” on the colophon by Paolozzi and dedicated in pencil “to Chris” and additionally every sheet but one is signed in pencil by the artist (the sheet nr 21b Will Alien Powers Invade The Earth? is unsigned) .

The internal blue card folder is minorly worn but is intact and complete.

An important document of British and international pop art.