Immagini del No (Pictures of the No)
Milan: All'insegna del pesce d'oro, 1974. First edition. Softcover. 1/1000. 48mo. Approx 4x3". Unpaginated (64 leaves). B/w photomontage illustrated wrappers. Housed in a custom black cloth clamshell box, measuring 4 1/2 x 3 3/4". This is #187 from a limited edition of 1000 copies, numbered on the colophon at the rear. Published as no.11 in the photographic series "Occhio Magico" (Magic Eye), overseen and edited by Georgio Lucini.
This noted photo-book contains a total of 45 b/w images taken of political protests in Italy by photographers Paola Mattioli and Anna Candiani. The work documents the demonstrations of feminist groups against the right-wing attempt to repeal the recently established divorce law in the country. Some images are double-page spreads. The book has come to be recognized by photography scholars Martin Parr and Gerry Badger in the third part of their acclaimed series "The Photo Book: A History, III" (2014), as a conceptual work depicting the recurring use of the word "No". This can be seen throughout in signs and banners, and so to the word is prominently featured on photomontage of the front cover. Parr calls the work "one of the most interesting photographic books printed in Italy in the seventies", and produced a facsimile reprint of the work for inclusion in the collection "The Protest Box" (2010), along with four other of the most important photographic works on the subject of protest.
Initial leaves contain text by Italian art historian, critic and academic Arturo Quintavalle (b.1936). The final leaves include short texts about photographers Mattioli and Candiani, as well as complete list of plates, with photographer credits. Interior back flap lists the previous publications in the "Occhio Magico" series.
Wrappers with some light rubbing to extremities, and some creasing along the spine. Small stain on the top of the book block. Interior with a light marginal stain to one of the text pages, and some minor foxing to to a few of the final leaves and the back flap of the wrapper. All images clean. Wrappers protected in modern mylar. Clamshell box in fine condition. Wrappers and interior in very good- condition overall. vg- to fine. Item #53240
Bibliographic reference: Parr & Badger, "The Photo Book: A History, III" (2014), p.63.
Price: $1,000.00