New York: The New Art Scene by Ugo Mulas, First Edition

New York: The New Art Scene by Ugo Mulas

First Edition, First Printing, 1967

This is a rare first edition, first printing of the Ugo Mulas’s critically acclaimed photobook “New York: The New Art Scene” published by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, New York in 1967. The book provides great insight into the vibrant New York art scene in the 1960's and features layouts on such major artists as Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns, Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Robert Rauschenberg. Vince Aletti in “The Book of 101 Books: Seminal Photographic Books of the Twentieth Century” writes, “inspired by the strong American presence at the 1964 Venice Biennale, the Italian photographer Ugo Mulas made three extended visits to New York over the following years. The result [is this] massive, handsomely designed volume [that] captures the art world at one of its most volatile and vivid peaks. [Mulas] was ideally suited to infiltrate that scene as a sympathetic and unobtrusive observer. With more than 500 photos reproduced in heavily inked, knockout black-and-white, the book has a marvelous scope. Its arresting cover image—a pair of New York cops confronting a gaggle of bohemians at a party in Andy Warhol's Factory—isn't typical, but it suggests something of the scene's exhilaration and notoriety."

Containing over 500 black and white photogravures and measuring approximately 13” x 9”, the book is bound in linen covered boards with photographic endpapers and a photographically illustrated dust jacket. The book is in Near Fine+ condition with some occasional offsetting from the heavy inks and a very slightly bowed cover. The dust jacket is Very Good+ with some chipping and closed tears to the edges and the corners and some loss to the spine head. The jacket is now protected with a mylar cover. Overall, this is a very nice copy of a notoriously difficult title to find with a collectible dust jacket.

Cited in both “The Book of 101 Books: Seminal Photographic Books of the Twentieth Century” and “The Open Book” by Andrew Roth

Photographs of the book as well as photographs contained in the book appear below. Please note that although the photographs appear digitized as thumbnails, they are viewable in the photo viewer by running your mouse over the thumbnail. You can also click on the thumbnail to open a separate window where the picture is viewable.