Luigi Serafini Livres

An extraordinary and surreal art book, this edition has been redesigned by the author and includes new illustrations. Deluxe numbered, limited edition of 600 w/signed card. Ever since the Codex Seraphinianus was first published in 1981, the book has been recognized as one of the strangest and most beautiful art books ever made. This visual encyclopedia of an unknown world written in an unknown language has fueled much debate over its meaning. Written for the information age and addressing the import of coding and decoding in genetics, literary criticism, and computer science, the Codex confused, fascinated, and enchanted a generation. While its message may be unclear, its appeal is obvious: it is a most exquisite artifact. Blurring the distinction between art book and art object, this anniversary edition-redesigned by the author and featuring new illustrations-presents this unique work in a new, unparalleled light. With the advent of new media and forms of communication and continuous streams of information, the Codex is now more relevant and timely than ever.

"From the intriguing mind behind Codex Seraphinianus comes this beautifully illustrated tribute to the famed Neapolitan character Pulcinella (or "Punch" as he is referred to in English). This short monograph on Pulcinella is conceived as a extension of the Codex Seraphinianus, an encyclopedia filled with variations and fantasies on a theme. Pulcinellopaedia Seraphiniana contains over one hundred extraordinary graphite illustrations with scarlet accents, some of which are depicted in comic-strip style. Conceived as a musical Suite, it is divided into nine scenes with an intermission. It features the oddly surreal and globally recognized character, whose origins have been lost in the mists of the time. An ancestor of Pulcinella was certainly Maccus, the protagonist of the Atellanae Fabulae, very popular farces in ancient Rome, but it was in the early seventeenth-century that the character assumed the name and costume that we all know. Distinguished by a long nose and typically dressed in white with a black mask, Pulcinella is often depicted in various kinds of misadventures and singing about love, hunger, and money. As he famously did in the Codex, Luigi Serafini, has created Pulcinellopaedia Seraphiniana in a unique language all its own, and has filled it with fascinating and mysterious illustrations that will no doubt prompt devotees to obsessively try to decipher the artist's intention. Written by Serafini's imaginative coauthor and alter ego "P. Cetrulo," who represents Pulcinella himself, the book artfully presents the struggles of a rebellious antihero who must come to grips with the challenges of everyday life."--Publisher's website

The sorcerer Beelzebub Preposteror and his witchy aunt must complete their annual quota of evil deeds before midnight. But a small cat and a raven are waiting to foil their plans and save the world.