Tom Wesselmann by Stealingworth, Slim (aka Tom Wesselmann) - 1980

New York: Abbeville Press, 1980. 1980 First Edition, stated on copyright page. INSCRIBED by Wesselmann on the title page, in blue ink, "For Mary and Alan / with much fondness / Tom Wesselmann / December 1981." A NEAR FINE copy: clean, otherwise unmarked and firmly bound. Pages are fresh and fine. Hardcover of ivory buckram cloth over boards is titled in black on spine and front cover with color pictorial pastedown on front cover. Cover is clean and sharp. Slight rubbing and toning along edges of boards and spine but otherwise cover is fine - no bumps, tears or frays. Binding and hinges firm and intact; light salmon colored endpapers fine. The book is in a plain, clear acetate jacket which is worn: toned along edges and spine, several tears and large chips along spine fold and to rear panel. It has done well in protecting the book. A momentous monograph on this important American artist - a leader of the 1960s Pop Art movement. It is actually autobiographic, as Slim Stealingworth was Wesselmann's pseudonym. Its 324 pages are packed with reproductions of Wesselmann's works: collages, early nude collages, bathtub collages, Great American Nudes, seascapes, smokers, mouths, faces, sculptures and several studies and drawings - as well as a few photographs of the artist and his studio. Many of the reproductions are in color. One of two plates on page 175 is pasted in, another plate is tipped onto the page. There are 2 fold-out pages with thumbnails of Wesselmann's fairly few prints and editions. An Exhibition List and Index are included. Laid into the book is the Abbeville Press invitation for a "meet the artist" party held on Dec. 8, 1981 at the999 (Nine Ninety Nine) Bookshop in New York City. 12 x 13-1/4." The book weighs 7.5 lbs. Additional postage required for Priority or International mailing.. Signed By Artist. First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Good. Thick 4to.