Antonin Artaud, Beryl De Zoete, Henri Cartier Bresson (1 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition, Illustrated Edition. Henri Cartier - Bresson was one of the twentieth century's premier photographers, pioneering and leading the way in both candid and street photography. He was a master of finding the key moment for a picture. This book is a record of his visit to the island of Bali, a part of the larger Indonesian archipelago. Bali is famous for it ancient temples and for the beautiful and ritualistic dances that are performed in the temple grounds. Beautiful young women and handsome men wear elaborate costumes and act out ancient stories of the gods against a background of gamelan music. Cartier-Bresson's photographs dramatically capture the event, and the dancers and players, including photographs of young men who are driven to ecstatic states of self mutilation with weaponry. This is in contradiction to the gentle beauty of the women dancers. ******************************************* Antonin Artaud was a major figure in French avant-garde literature and theatre. He was considerably influenced by Balinese theatre, and wrote the introductory essay included in this book, Le Theatre balinais ; this essay originally appeared in Issue No. 217 of Nouvelle Revue Français (circa 1931). The main text for the book, which serves as commentary to the photographs, was written by Béryl de Zoete, a famous dancer and recognized authority on Balinese dancing. Her essay was translated from English to French by Ratna Cartier-Bresson. It's a lovely book, and Henri Cartier-Bresson's photographs are stunningly dramatic. ******************************************* SERIES : Collection Huit / TITLE : Les Danses a Bali / PHOTOGRAPHY : Henri Cartier - Bresson (1908 - 2004) / INTRODUCTION : Le Théatre balinais : Antonin Artaud (1896 - 1948) [ Originally published in Issue No. 217 of Nouvelle Revue Française ] / EXPLANATORY TEXT : Béryl de Zoete [ famous dancer and noted authority on Balinese Dance] / TRANSLATION (of Ms de Zoete's text from the English) : Ratna Cartier - Bresson / IMPRINT : Robert Delpire / PLACE : Paris, France / DATE : (1954) / EDITION : First Edition / PROVENANCE : From the personal library of an esteemed anthropologist ( whose field included Bali and the general Indonesian archipelago, and with his signature in ink on the front free end-paper, dated 11/7/66 ) / PHYSICAL DETAILS : Small trade hardcover (12mo); contains numerous halftone reproductions of black-and-white photographs; [124] pages; 5 1/8 x 7 ; cream colored paper-covered boards; black lettering on spine; title label on front board printed black on pink. Photo-pictorial dust-jacket printed in over-all pink and gray tones. ************************************** CONDITION . BOOK ; NEAR VERY GOOD - JACKET : VERY GOOD - This is a previously owned book that remains clean and attractive, with the following imperfections and particulars noted :: EXTERIOR -- Board edges display modest weathering and rub; board corner tips softly bumped - else clean and attractive BINDING -- The book has obviously been read, and thus the whole is not as tight as when issued, however there are no detached or loose leaves. / INTERIOR -- At the foot of the front flyleaf is a small tea stain; at the head of the same is the previous owner s inked signature, with date this person is an esteemed anthropologist specializing in South-east Asia - else the interior is clean and presentable, with no writing or marking. / DUST-JACKET -- The spine panel is faded, as is the case with just about all specimens, the pink coloration being fairly unstable and prone to fading. There are minute scattered nicks about the edges, as well as a touch of chipping and crimping to the bottom edge of the front panel - else the jacket is clean and attractive.