Jed Perl (intro.); Dan Wechsler (ed.);
Strange & Wonderful: An Informal Visual History of Manuscript Books and Albums
Brings together an amazingly diverse group of volumes produced over time without the aid of a printing press.
Jed Perl, art critic at The New Republic, and author of a number of books, contributes a masterful introductory essay. 101 books are represented in full-color spreads, offering a survey of unique creations over a wide breadth of time, place and subject. From pre-Gutenberg manuscripts to contemporary one-of-a-kind artists’ books, the whole suggests the birth of a new classification of outsider art.
Designed by Fabio Cutró. Edited and compiled by Dan Wechsler. Photographed by Matt Weber. Printed at Meridian Printing in East Greenwich, R.I., USA.
“There is no real rhyme (though there is certainly a reason) for what the editor, Dan Wechsler, has included in ‘Strange and Wonderful.’ But the combination of old and recent photography and drawing, some of it surreal and some of it quite real, triggers a stimulating visual, often contemplative experience. Indeed, these books are not unlike some blogs today — only it’s more fun to turn real pages.”
–Steven Heller, The New York Times
