Teenage Lust and Tulsa by Larry Clark
Purchased Directly From Larry Clark in 1984
Includes Bill of Sale and Endorsed Check
I purchased this remarkably scarce set from a private collector who provided me with a description of the two books as well as some photographs of the bill of sale from Larry Clark and a copy of the check that is made out to Larry Clark and contains his signature on the back of the check where it was endorsed. Rather than recreate a listing, I am using the original that was provided to me by the collector that appears below in black. Although it deviates from my normal listing approach, it captures in his own words the experience of buying the books directly from Larry Clark.
“I've read many reasons as to why artist, photographer, filmmaker, Larry Clark privately printed this second edition of his 1971 classic collection of photographs entitled, Tulsa — here's what I know from a personal point of view:
A 1984 issue of Aperture ran a small item about Larry Clark, then living in New York, Greenwich Village, selling copies of his newly-released autobiographical photo book, Teenage Lust and a second, privately-printed, hardcover edition of his 1969 groundbreaking book, Tulsa. I mailed him my personal check and a few weeks later he sent the books. Mr. Clark wrote up the accompanying receipt and is written and endorsed my check. Since that time, Mr. Clark has become one of the most celebrated artists of our time with many autographed re-issues of Tulsa and Teenage Lust. This set, sold and signed during the artist's early New York period, has a history behind it.
Teenage Lust
Photography and recollections by Larry Clark
Softcover, 9" wide by 11 1/2" tall, unpaginated
First Edition, First Printing
Condition: Used, like new, extremely slight wear to the top and bottom front cover corners and rear cover.
In the mid-1970s, Clark received an 'Imprimatur of Excellence' grant of $5,000 from the NEA. While the grant money itself went to lawyers to try to keep him out of jail ("So there goes the NEA, thanks a lot," Clark wrote), he managed to finish a book of photographs and publish it in 1983 under the title Teenage Lust. Although his second book fueled by an NEA grant was delayed by a 19 month jail sentence in 1976 for a parole violation, Teenage Lust was considerably more sexual and disturbing than the first; this time depicting teenage runaways.
Teenage Lust (1983), is subtitled “An Autobiography of Larry Clark,” though it is not autobiographical in any conventional sense. It includes early family snapshots and follows a rough biographical chronology, but Clark's primary intention seems to be to “turn back the years” and to relive moments of his own teen past through images of others. Roughly divided into three sections, Teenage Lust begins with Clark’s family photographs and his move to New York City: then contrasts his various run-ins with the law with his quest for a utopian hippie life in New Mexico: and concludes with a powerful and touching series of portraits of young male hustlers in the Times Square area. More sprawling, experimental, and explicit than Tulsa, Teenage Lust has at its core the rawness, vulnerability, and uncertainty of adolescence, a key strain that runs throughout Clark’s work.
Tulsa
Privately printed by Rapoport Printing, Inc., New York
Hardcover, 8 1/2" wide by 11" tall, 53 black & white plates, black cloth cover with silver stamped lettering, 1979
Second Edition
Condition: Used, near fine: two small tears and a crease at the top front of the dust jacket, one small tear and wrinkling at the top rear of dust jacket. The cover boards, spine, binding and pages are clean, like new.
The 1979 edition of Tulsa was printed from the original photographs used in the 1971 edition published by Lustrum. The photographs were borrowed by Clark from the permanent collection of the George Eastman House. The 3000-volume limited edition was printed by Rapoport Printing Corp. under Clark’s supervision and bound by Sendor Bindery. Unlike the Lustrum edition, the 1979 edition is a Smythe-sewn hardcover volume with a film-laminated dust jacket featuring the original cover image of Billy Mann sitting cross-legged on a bed, brandishing a revolver.”
This is a wonderful opportunity to acquire two of Larry Clark’s most important works that are accompanied by signed ephemera and some history behind them. Both titles are cited in numerous photobook reference works including “The Book of 101 Books: Seminal Photographic Books of the Twentieth Century” by Andrew Roth.
Photographs of the books, bill of sale, and check with signature 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.
