Black Book, 1989 by Christopher Wool is a seminal artist's book that underscores Wool’s transformative approach to text-based art. This oversized volume, approximately twenty-three inches tall, features forty pages with seventeen reproductions of enamel drawings, each presented on smooth wove paper and bound with jet-black covers.

The book captures a pivotal moment in Wool’s career when his radical use of typographical elements began to make waves in the New York art scene. Wool’s work, characterized by its brash and rebellious nature, utilizes stenciled, all-capital letters to create a powerful visual impact. This method of employing the word as a pictorial image reflects a significant shift in contemporary art practices, aligning with Wool’s broader body of work that includes iconic phrases like “sell the house sell the car sell the kids.”

This book not only exemplifies Wool’s engagement with text as a visual medium but also resonates with multiple artistic movements, including street art, Conceptual art, and Pop.

Black Book, 1989 was produced in an edition of 350 copies, each signed and numbered by Wool, and was co-published by Thea Westreich, New York, and Gisela Capitain, Cologne, with production by Studley Press in Massachusetts. Westreich and her husband, Ethan Wagner, are notable collectors of Wool’s work and have been influential in publishing artist’s books since the late 1980s.

At Mimesis Gallery, we are pleased to offer the complete set ofBlack Book, 1989 by Christopher Wool. These works, sourced from the original portfolio case, have been meticulously preserved in climate-controlled storage since acquisition. Explore this significant collection available for sale.

The complete portfolio of Black Book, 1989 by Christopher Wool includes the following works:

• PRANKSTER
• PARANOIC
• ASSASSIN
• ASSISTANT
• PERSUADER
• EXTREMIST
• AUTHORITY
• CELEBRITY
• HYPOCRITE
• TERRORIST
• COMEDIAN
• CHAMELEON
• ADVERSARY
• INSOMNIAC
• SPOKESMAN
• PESSIMIST