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Cray, Fred : Fred Cray: Silhouettes

64 Books, Brooklyn, NY, 2016

ISBN 1617042099

First Edition / First Printing. As New in No Dust Jacket, As Issued. 58 pages. Artist Book. Collection of unique silhouettes. One of the most beautiful Artist Books of our time. Limited Edition of 120 numbered copies. The first and only edition. An austerely elegant production by Fred Cray: Regular-sized volume format. White pictorial softcovers with titles on the cover, as issued. Photographically-based art by Fred Cray. There is no text. Two loose 4 X 6 unique postcards laid-in. Printed on pristine-white, thick coated stock paper in the United States to the highest standards. Without DJ, as issued. Presents, in a Limited Edition format, Fred Cray's "Silhouettes". In many ways, his most exquisite "Unique Photographs" project thus far. Each of the images shows a silhouette that has been superimposed with another photographically-sourced image, rendering the silhouette insignificant albeit ever-present, and resulting in a unique image because the artist has made only one of each. Cray calls each resulting image a "double-printed photograph", of which there will potentially be an infinite number "left out in the world as unique photographs". It's an ingenious idea (that uses a rudimentary process called superimposition) because it turns the photograph, the most easily reproducible medium, into something unique, literally one-of-a-kind. At the same time, Cray reminds us of the artwork's reproducibility by making each piece exactly the same 4 X 6 inch postcard size (when he could have produced different sizes, as most people would have done). It is, of course, precisely Cray's rigor to the point of static repetition that makes him an artist. You could say that while Cray is basically agreeing with Walter Benjamin's insight about "the work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction", he is also dis-agreeing with it, by showing that despite its reproducible character, the photograph does not diminish or undermine an artist's ability to create a unique work of art that reflects his personal vision. Cray reminds us, pace Benjamin, that the most serious and ambitious contemporary art is increasingly more, not less, photographically-based. As Andy Grundberg has pointed out, these "painting-photographs" will be recognized as powerful and eloquent responses to the "objective" art of such figures as Richard Prince and Cindy Sherman. An esoteric, somewhat eccentric figure, Cray keeps American Surrealism and the very idea of art alive in our time, which desperately needs it. Fred Cray has not received the kind of recognition that he deserves because his art is quirkily personal. But he is The Real Thing: Thoughtful yet intuitive, and deeply moving. As such, he is an anomaly in the midst of industrial-scale, manufactured art. His time will come because it is on his side. An absolute "must-have" title for Fred Cray collectors. This copy is one of the Limited Edition of 120 numbered copies, indicated/numbered as such on the Back Limitation Page. It is very prominently, neatly, and beautifully signed in black ink-pen by Fred Cray. It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. Laid in are four loose 4 X 6 inch unique postcard artworks. This is an Artist Book collectible. As far as we know, this is the only such signed copy (with four unique photographs) of the Limited Edition available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright, a pristine beauty. Please note: Cray did NOT sign most copies of the Limited Edition. He also limited himself to just one (1) unique photograph for most copies. This copy is signed and comes with four unique photographs. A rare signed copy thus. 37 color plates, 2 unique photographs. One of the most brilliant American artists of our time. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER FRED CRAY TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). ISBN 1617042099.

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Cray, Fred : Fred Cray: Silhouettes

64 Books, Brooklyn, NY, 2016

ISBN 1617042099

First Edition / First Printing. As New in No Dust Jacket, As Issued. 58 pages. Artist Book. Collection of unique silhouettes. One of the most beautiful Artist Books of our time. Limited Edition of 120 numbered copies. The first and only edition. An austerely elegant production by Fred Cray: Regular-sized volume format. White pictorial softcovers with titles on the cover, as issued. Photographically-based art by Fred Cray. There is no text. Three loose 4 X 6 unique postcards laid-in. Printed on pristine-white, thick coated stock paper in the United States to the highest standards. Without DJ, as issued. Presents, in a Limited Edition format, Fred Cray's "Silhouettes". In many ways, his most exquisite "Unique Photographs" project thus far. Each of the images shows a silhouette that has been superimposed with another photographically-sourced image, rendering the silhouette insignificant albeit ever-present, and resulting in a unique image because the artist has made only one of each. Cray calls each resulting image a "double-printed photograph", of which there will potentially be an infinite number "left out in the world as unique photographs". It's an ingenious idea (that uses a rudimentary process called superimposition) because it turns the photograph, the most easily reproducible medium, into something unique, literally one-of-a-kind. At the same time, Cray reminds us of the artwork's reproducibility by making each piece exactly the same 4 X 6 inch postcard size (when he could have produced different sizes, as most people would have done). It is, of course, precisely Cray's rigor to the point of static repetition that makes him an artist. You could say that while Cray is basically agreeing with Walter Benjamin's insight about "the work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction", he is also dis-agreeing with it, by showing that despite its reproducible character, the photograph does not diminish or undermine an artist's ability to create a unique work of art that reflects his personal vision. Cray reminds us, pace Benjamin, that the most serious and ambitious contemporary art is increasingly more, not less, photographically-based. As Andy Grundberg has pointed out, these "painting-photographs" will be recognized as powerful and eloquent responses to the "objective" art of such figures as Richard Prince and Cindy Sherman. An esoteric, somewhat eccentric figure, Cray keeps American Surrealism and the very idea of art alive in our time, which desperately needs it. Fred Cray has not received the kind of recognition that he deserves because his art is quirkily personal. But he is The Real Thing: Thoughtful yet intuitive, and deeply moving. As such, he is an anomaly in the midst of industrial-scale, manufactured art. His time will come because it is on his side. An absolute "must-have" title for Fred Cray collectors. This copy is one of the Limited Edition of 120 numbered copies, indicated/numbered as such on the Back Limitation Page. It is very prominently, neatly, and beautifully signed in black ink-pen by Fred Cray. It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. Laid in are three loose 4 X 6 inch unique postcard artworks. This is a beautiful Artist Book collectible. As far as we know, this is the only such signed copy (with three unique photographs) of the Limited Edition available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright, a pristine beauty. Please note: Cray did NOT sign most copies of the Limited Edition. He also limited himself to just one (1) unique photograph for most copies. This copy is signed and comes with three unique photographs. A rare signed copy thus. 37 color plates, 3 unique photographs. One of the most brilliant American artists of our time. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER FRED CRAY TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). ISBN 1617042099.

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