59 - DEBORD (Guy) - JORN (Asger).

DEBORD (Guy) - JORN (Asger). Memoirs. Asger Jorn’s Load-Bearing Structures. Copenhagen: Permild & Rosengreen for the Situationist International, [1959, i.e., 1958]. — In-4, 276 x 210: (34 leaves, first and last blank). Paperback, cover of re-folded sandpaper. First edition of the second book produced by essayist and filmmaker Guy Debord (1931–1994) and Danish painter Asger Jorn (1914–1973), following *The End of Copenhagen* (1957). This work, “entirely composed of prefabricated elements,” was created during the winter of 1957–1958. The elements, collected from literary works, newspapers, and other sources, were glued together, then photographed and given to Jorn so that he could draw “colored lines of considerable complexity that would form the ‘supporting structure’” (Correspondence, Volume I, pp. 24–25). To create this backdrop, Jorn reportedly used two main techniques: dripping colored ink directly onto zinc plates, and drawing on the same plates with a match dipped in ink. Despite its complexity, this work does indeed tell a story—that of the creation of the Lettrist International. It also evokes personal moments in the author’s life, his passions, his intoxications, and his rebellion. Its conception and form make it a unique work in this regard. The book was printed in Copenhagen at the end of 1958, not in 1959 as indicated in the colophon. Described as an “anti-book” by Debord, it had a limited print run and was intended only for his friends and acquaintances. Its cover is made of thick sandpaper, which led Jorn to describe the work as a “book of love bound in sandpaper, which tears the pockets of entire library shelves, as a fond reminder of a bygone era that refuses to end, and distresses everyone with its stubborn presence ” (Asger Jorn, Guy Debord and the Problem of the Accursed). This copy features a signed autograph dedication by Jorn on the title page: For // Jacques // from Asger Jorn // Nov. 25 // 59 The copy is in very good condition despite slight waviness on the last few pages.