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A DANCE OF DEATH: 1987-1992.

A collaborative portfolio in printmaking and papermaking – selected visions in word and image about the dance we all share near the end of the Twentieth Century. Tempe, AZ, Cabbagehead Press, 1992.

19 prints, numbered and signed by artist and/or author. 20 x 16-1/4". Housed in a handsome black Japanese silk clamshell box made by the BookLab, Austin, Texas. Title-page designed and printed by John Risseeuw, print-maker and owner of the Press. An edition of 40 copies, of which 20 are for sale. $4,500.

Mr. Risseeuw conceived of the project as exploring a modern aspect of the dans macabre -- possibilities that never existed before – that of collective death and the destruction of the planet. Artists and writers were invited to participate by sending images or text on some aspect of the Dance. Mr. Risseeuw created handmade paper specifically for each piece and did most of the press work. The result is as eclectic and creative as the unusual group of participants.
The contents, with some images:

A Dance of Death Title Page
1. SMALL DEATH AT DAWN by Walter Askin, printmaker and author. Relief line engravings from original ink drawing, with handset Centaur/Arrighi, Neuland, Optima letterpress.
2. “HEY, YOU DOWN DERE!” by Sidney Chafetz, printmaker and author. Linoleum cut, with Cloister Old Style letterpress.
3. “MEANWHILE, UNDERNEATH THE OVAL OFFICE, THE DANCE CONTINUES…” by Warrington Colescott, Printmaker. Etching, engravings, and stencil rolled relief intaglio.
4. OZONE by Rita Dove, poet and Ron Gasowski, artist. Electrostatic image generation, printed photolithographically.
5. “AS HE WAS HAVING DINNER…” by Antonio Frasconi, printmaker. Woodcut, with Bembo letterpress.
6. THE GARDEN SHUKKEI-EN by Carolyn Forché, poet. Handset Baskerville letterpress.
7. SPINNER AND SCROLL by Ray Gloeckler, author and printmaker. Woodcut, photographically reduced to relief line engraving, with Old English letterpress.
8. POSADA THEATRE by David Holmes, author and printmaker. Linoleum cut, with handset Neuland letterpress.
9. BULLETIN by Lois M. Johnson, printmaker. Lithograph, screenprint, colored paper pulp.
10. AFTER DEATH by Tamarra Kaida, photographer. Heat transferred color copy photograph, with Stymie Medium and Bold letterpress.
11. WHAT IS HUNGER? by Frances Moore Lappé, author, hunger activist. Linoleum cuts, with Monotype Baskerville letterpress.
12. A DANCE OF DEATH OR A CELEBRATION OF LIFE? by Thomas Malone, author and environmental scientist. Handset composition cast Univers and Baskerville italic letterpress.
13. FAMILY PROMISE by Holly Near, author, singer, songwriter. Relief line engravings for calligraphy, with handset Goudy Oldstyle letterpress.
14. AIDS IMAGE by Susan Rankaitis, artist. Black and white silverprint.
15. GRAIN by John Risseeuw, author and printmaker. Woodcut, pulp painting, foil stamping, with handset Univers letterpress.
16. WHISTLING by Pete Seeger, singer and songwriter. Relief line engravings, with handset Goudy Oldstyle, Goudy Bold, Old English letterpress.
17. COME AWAY SUITE by Noel Paul Stookey, singer and songwriter. Handset Palatino letterpress.
18. “I IMAGINE A TIME…” by Barbara Luck, poet and Claire Van Vliet, printmaker and printer. Intaglio/collagraph, colored paper pulps, with handset Hammer Uncial letterpress.
19. “YOUR MESSAGE HERE” by Bill Weege, printmaker. Woodcut.