Cage, John. (1912–1992)
Le Livre des Champignons - SIGNED
Paris: Ryôan-ji André Dimanche. 1983. First French edition. Unusual signed volume from the innovative and influential American composer who once said that if he were to live his life over again, he would be a botanist rather than an artist. He was in fact an amateur mycologist of some distinction, helping to found the New York Mycological Society, winning an Italian TV quiz on mushrooms in the 1950s, and co-writing (with Lois Long and Alexander Smith) "The Mushroom Book," translated here by Pierre Lartigue. The texts on mushroom-hunting, mushroom-identification and mushroom-cooking are here typed, whereas in the original edition, the writing was superimposed in such a way that the texts were frequently illegible, the idea being that ‘ideas are to be found in the same way that you find wild mushrooms in the forest, by just looking. Instead of having them come at you clearly, they come to you as things hidden, like Easter eggs.’15.5 x 21.5cm, 94 pp. Fine copy on centaure ivoire d'Arjomari. Signed by Cage in multiple layers (as per the description above) in blue ink on the first page. Very fine. (7998)
Book Classical Music