LA FORET SACRILEGE ET AUTRES TEXTES. 1970. A RARE BOOK-OBJECT (AND POSSIBLY THE FIRST EVER ARTWORK USING POLYSTYRENE) – SIGNED AND NUMBERED BY TOYEN. READ DESCRIPTION RE DAMAGE.

Paris: Le Soleil Noir, 1970
A custom made transparent plexi-box content of a custom made polystyrene box with a moulded motif of a dragon with a ‘pearl’ in its mouth (the beads are different colours on both sides of the box) which in turn houses the book – 21 x 15cm (approx), 152pp plus original printed wrappers. Preface by Andre Breton. This surrealist book – with text by Duprey has offset reproductions of the six drypoint etchings by Toyen hors textes (at the back of the book) and is one of 300 numbered copies which are signed by Toyen on the polystyrene and numbered. There were also 99 other copies released with signed Toyen etchings external to the book. This object-book is far rarer than even the irrational numbering would suggest because the publisher and the manufacturer of the outer plastic box (Atelier Duval) were not used to working with the relatively new material of polystyrene and got the measurements slightly wrong – the box was too small to easily get the book out! As a result it is believed that the vast majority of the boxes were damaged as owners tried to free the book from the slipcase.
There are issues here the outer plastic slipcase and the polystyrene box/book have since been stored separately and sadly overtime the outer plastic slipcase has become extremely deformed: it may be possible to repair this using hot water or a hair dryer but we have reduced the price of this item substantially as a result. The polystyrene and book are VG+.
This is the first known example of the plastic being used as an artwork medium. Ref: Le Soleil Noir, Carre d’art, 1993 pg 48