Grapefruit
Tokyo: Wunternaum Press, 1964. First Edition. Square 12mo, unpag.; original wrappers, titled on the front; with additional ephemera on five legal-sized leaves. Wear to spine and edges, front wrapper and first few leaves pulled loose; some soil and marking; ephemera folded, with a few short tears and marks, and some small holograph corrections. Item #206318
One of a stated 500 copies -- and likely fewer -- in the first edition of Ono's first book, a compendium of concept pieces in the form of instructions. The book is a significant landmark of Ono's important early concept pieces, in advance of the Conceptual Art movement of the 1970s, and marking her involvement with the Fluxus group of avant-garde artists and composers. Most of the works documented in Grapefruit date from the early 1960s; some go as far back as to the early 1950s. The contents are divided into five groups: Music, Painting, Event, Poetry, and Object. This copy has been inscribed and signed by Ono on a preliminary leaf in 1966, signed in full. It is accompanied by two rare pieces of ephemera: "To the Wesleyan People. . ." Ono's printed manifesto dated January 23, 1966 on four legal-size pages; and "Ono's Sales List," single legal-size page with printed list of available works, copyrighted 1965 and including a wide range of concept works such as "Soundtape of Snow Falling at Dawn," "Touch Poems," "Machines" (e.g. "Crying Machine- machine drops tears and cries for you when coin is deposited" and "Sky Machine- machine produces nothing when coin is deposited"); "Events," "Music Scores," and "Books (including Grapefruit). Ono has stated that the list was produced in an edition of just 200 copies for supporters of her work. All of the items were obtained by the recipient of the inscription at the Event called "The Stone," created by Ono and her then-husband Anthony Cox at New York's Judson Church, during which visitors were invited to experience existence inside of loosely woven black cotton bags. "To the Wesleyan People. . ." is the clearest statement that Ono produced to explain her artistic philosophy. It was included in the later trade edition of Grapefruit. Also present is a contemporary review of the Judson Church evening from the New York Herald Tribune.
Price: $18,500.00