A Valentine for Noël: Four Variations on a Scheme by Emmett Williams

This volume includes four works of concrete poetry by American poet, visual artist, and Fluxus luminary Emmett Williams (1925-2007). “IBM” is essentially created by a recursive algorithm designed by Williams, with random words swapped in for each letter of the alphabet, as explained in a handwritten preface to Williams’s wife Ann Noël. “Ego Hego Shego” is a flip-book animation depicting falling flower petals that eventually spell out a fateful phrase. “Soldier” uses color, typography, and repetition to relate the simple truth of war; “Fête Duchampêtre” is another “animated” experiment in visual poetry (a Dadaist version of a French garden party?).

Released by Fluxus publisher Something Else Press (where Williams was editor-in-chief) in 1973. One of 2,000 copies. Fine in French fold wraps. [glass case]

$ 195.00

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