WALTER BATTISS `I INVENTED MYSELF` BY WARREN SIEBRITS - THE JACK GINSBERG COLLECTION, FIRST EDITION

WALTER BATTISS "I INVENTED MYSELF" BY WARREN SIEBRITS - THE JACK GINSBERG COLLECTION, AMPERSAND FOUNDATION, 2016 FIRST EDITION, HARDCOVER, 336 PAGES, BRAND NEW WRAPPED IN PLASTIC

The stunning  landmark book titled "Walter Battiss I invented myself, the Jack M Ginsberg collection" edited by the curator of the Walter Battiss Exhibition at Wits Art Museum, Warren Siebrits, accompanies the exhibition and is a rich and full coverage of the five lives of Walter Battiss. The exhibition has been the highlight of the 2016 year at Wits Art Museum. The book is a permanent record of the exhibition and the Jack Ginsberg collection. It is a top quality art book filled with beautiful colour illustrations of the works on exhibition. Limited editions of the book have been produced (1500) in five separate colours (300 per colour) and in high quality linen hard cover binding. Each of the colours represents the five different lives of Walter. 

The text comprising a range of essays by art historians (Julia Charlton and Karel Nel), curator (Warren Siebrits) and collector (Jack Ginsberg) reflects on the life work and significance of Walter Battiss. The  Siebrits essay is on the five lives of Walter Battiss. Ginsberg's chapter "Figuring Fook" deciphers Battiss' unique fun script and language. Karel Nel contributed a section on the imaginary landscape of Walter Battiss, King of Fook, and explores the link between the influence of rock paintings, island travels and the creation of a Battiss world. How and why did this artist become such a much loved and influential South African artist. This is one of those must own South African art books.