THE BOOKS OF MIKHAIL KARASIK 1987-2006



1. Boris Pasternak. Christmas. [Rozhdestvo] (one verse: Christmas Star from the 17th chapter of Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago). Lithographs by M. Karasik. Leningrad: [M. Karasik], 1987. 210 x 150. 16 pages. In Russian. A limited edition of 30 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Unstitched. Printed on three sorts of paper. Two compositions on double pages, three single-page compositions, illumination and end-piece. Exists in two versions: 1) In a cover with flaps - lithograph in three colours. 2) In a cover and slipcase with lithograph.

2.* Boris Pasternak. The Garden of Gethsemane. [Gefsimanskiy sad] (one verse from the 17th chapter of Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago). Lithographs by M. Karasik. Leningrad: [M. Karasik], 1988. 150 x 125. 12 pages in a cover and slipcase. In Russian. A limited edition of 25 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Stapled. Frontispiece, three frieze compositions, illumination and end-piece. Cover - lithograph in three colours. Card slipcase with lithograph.
* Publication with insert and article by Vladimir Perts repeated by the author in 1989 at the request of the Alexander Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts (Moscow) in a limited edition of hundred copies for the World of Pasternak exhibition at the December soirees marking the centenary of the poet's birth (see cat. 8).

3. Boris Pasternak. Twelve Poems. [12 stikhotvoreniy] (from the 17th chapter of Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago). Lithographs by M. Karasik. Leningrad: [M. Karasik], 1988. 180 x 120. 32 pages in a cover and slipcase. In Russian. A limited edition of 50 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Printed on three sorts of paper. Consists of two unbound jotters each with sixteen pages and a supplement of eight compositions removed to the back fly-leaf cover. Frontispiece, three page-length illustrations, eight compositions, illumination and end-piece. Card case with lithograph in three colours.

4. Anna Akhmatova. Biblical Verses. [Bibleiskiye stikhi] Lithographs by M. Karasik. Leningrad: [M. Karasik], 1988. 200 x 153. 16 pages in a cover and slipcase. In Russian. A limited edition of 46 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Unstitched. Frontispiece, three page-length illustrations. In a cover with flaps - lithograph in three colours. Card slipcase with lithograph.

5. The Song of Solomon. [Pesn' Pesnei Solomona] Album. Seven lithographs by M. Karasik. Leningrad: [M. Karasik], 1988. 480 x 320. In Russian. A limited edition of 20 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Unstitched. Title-page and seven sheets inserted into a folder. Compositions on separate sheets printed in two tones. Card folder with lithograph.

6. Boris Pasternak. Evil Days. [Durnye dni] (one verse from the 17th chapter of Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago). Lithographs by M. Karasik. Leningrad: [M. Karasik], 1989. 160 x 125. In Russian. A limited edition of 50 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Two variants of design: 1) 20 copies: unstitched. Text of the poem printed on one sheet of grey paper (320 x 260) folded in four. Illustrations are black-and-white lithographs painted with water-colours and bronze. 2) 30 copies: stitched. 26 pages. Text and drawings are coloured lithographs. Illumination, nine page-length illustrations, cover and card slipcase with lithograph.

7. Yulian Tuvim. "Remember Our Waltzing…" [Ty pomnish'kak my kruzhilis' v val'se …] Lithographs by M. Karasik. Leningrad: [M. Karasik], 1989. 225 x 165. In Russian. A limited edition of 50 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Text printed on grey paper with reverse (450 x 320), folded in four, accompanied with drawings. Three-part cover - lithograph in three colours. Card slipcase with lithograph.

8. ** Boris Pasternak. The Garden of Gethsemane. [Gefsimanskiy sad] (one verse from the 17th chapter of Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago). Lithographs by M. Karasik. Leningrad: [M. Karasik], 1989. A limited edition of 100 copies, numbered and signed by the artist.
** Delta Art Publishers (St Petersburg) reprinted the book in a limited edition of three hundred copies in 1993. Includes a trilingual supplement (Russian, English and German) with a translation of the poem and an article by Erast Kuznetsov.

9. Mikhail Karasik. Butchering Calves. [Razdelka tushi] (from the artist's diary: Tadzhikistan, Kishlak of Pushti-Miona, 1987). Album. Seven lithographs by M. Karasik. Leningrad: [M. Karasik], 1989 - St Petersburg: M.K. Publishers, 1996. 245 x 330. In an edition of 25 numbered and signed copies + 5 supplementary artist-made copies (e/a). Stitched. Laser-printed text. 7 compositions on separated sheets - black-and-white lithographs. In a cover - black-and white lithograph. Exists in two versions: 1) In Russian. Card case with lithograph. 2) In English and in German. Card case (255 x 335) with collage: original photographs - chronicle of journeys through Central Asia.

10. Nikolay Kononov. The Little Swimmer. [Malen'kiy plovets] Lithographs by M. Karasik. Leningrad: [M. Karasik], 1989. 130 x 185. 32 pages in a cover and slipcase. In Russian. A limited edition of 36 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Stapled. Printed on the back of posters. The contribution made by the poster artist B. Trubanova with his poster design Perestroika. Uskorenie. Glasnost (1989). Odd-numbered pages with author's text and illustrations have four-colour lithographs. Even-numbered pages show fragments of the front of the poster. Texts of eight poems written by the poet directly onto the stone. Cover with flaps made in lithograph on grey paper, labels with inscriptions on pink paper. Card case with lithograph, collaged fragment of the poster. Appendix: printed text of Kononov's poems in booklet in fold of back cover. Same place: text-composed article by Mikhail Karasik.

11. The Song of Solomon. [Pesn' Pesnei Solomona] Translation from Old Hebrew by A. Efros. Lithographs by M. Karasik. Leningrad: [M. Karasik], 1990. 200 x 125. 72 pages in a cover and slipcase. In Russian. A limited edition of 45 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Perforated stitching. Book printed on thin textural paper on one side folded into a mouth organ and bound. Text and drawings are black-and-white lithographs. Frontispiece, eight page-length illustrations, eight mock-titles, eight end-pieces. Cover and end-leaf printed on grey paper folded in three. Card slip case - lithograph in three colours.

12. The Song of Solomon. [Pesn' Pesnei Solomona] Album. Ten lithographs by M. Karasik. Hebrew texts written by S. Yakerson directly onto the stone. Leningrad: [M. Karasik], 1990. 620 x 420. A limited edition of 15 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Unstitched. Two title-pages and two listing sheets (in Russian and in Hebrew) and ten separate sheets in a folder. Ten compositions - coloured lithograph. Hebrew inscriptions included in compositions of nine lithographs. Card folder with lithograph in three colours.

13. Marina Tsvetayeva. Phedre. [Fedra] Lithographs by M. Karasik. Leningrad - Moscow: [M. Karasik], 1991. 235 x 143. In Russian. A limited edition of 25 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Collection consisting of two separately bound jotters: Phedre [Fedra] (16 pages) and Sybil [Sivilla] (20 pages) in a common cover - coloured lithograph. Frontispieces, six page-length illustrations, three compositions on centre-folds, two illuminations. 1) Phedre: Text - monochrome lithograph. Half-title, title-page and illustrations - lithograph in three colours. Cover - black tinted paper. 2) Sybil: Text - monochrome lithograph. Frontispiece - lithograph in three colours. Cover - grey paper.

14. Federico Garcia Lorca. Ten Poems. [Desiat' stikhotvoreniy] Lithographs by M. Karasik. Leningrad: [M. Karasik], 1991.290 x 250. 32 pages in a cover and slipcase. In Russian. A limited edition of 37 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Stitched. Text - lithograph in two colours. Title-page double opening, frontispiece, three page-length illustrations - lithograph in two colours. In a cover - lithograph on white paper. Card case with lithograph.

15. Daniil Kharms. Four Incidents & the Aviation of Transformations. [Chetyre sluchaya i Aviatsiya prevrashcheniy] Lithographs by M. Karasik. Leningrad: Kharmsizdat, 1990-91. A set of 5 books in a folder and slipcase. Folder - lithograph in two colours. Card slip case (330 x 210) with collage.
The Obstacle. [Pomekha], 1991. 265 x 200. 12 pages in a cover. A limited edition of 33 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Stitched along the spine. Typed text, transferred to lithography stone, printed in lithograph in one colour. Frontispiece, two frieze compositions, illumination and end-piece. Grey card cover with collage, lithograph in two colours.
The Aviation of Transformations. [Aviatsiya prevrashcheniy], 1990. 205 x 145. 12 pages in a cover. A limited edition of 33 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Stitched. Pages formed of sheets of sewing patterns. Two compositions on centre-folds, illumination and end-piece. Grey paper cover with flaps - lithograph in three colours.
Makarov and Petersen. [Makarov i Petersen], 1991.Book in a form of a concertina (10 pages), with cover. 185 x 120 (folded). A limited edition of 33 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Text printed in two colours on one side of a map of South America. Grey paper cover with lithograph and collage.
Holiday. [Prazdnik], 1991. Book in a form of a concertina (16 pages), with cover. 184 x 82 (folded). A limited edition of 33 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Printed on one side of the sheet - lithograph in three colours. Card cover with two-coloured lithograph, collage
A Terrible Death. [Strashnaya smert], 1990. 130 x 95. 12 pages in a cover. A limited edition of 36 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Stapled. Half title-page, three compositions on centre-folds. Cover - lithograph in three colours on ochre paper.



16. Franz Kafka. A Knock at the Manor Gate. [Stuk v vorota] Lithographs by M. Karasik. St Petersburg: [M. Karasik], 1991. 155 x 120. 20 pages in a cover and slipcase. In Russian. A limited edition of 30 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Stitched. Printed on two sorts of paper. Text - black-and-white lithographs, collage. Six quarter-page-length label illustrations printed on white paper, four page-length ones and centre-fold printed on tracing paper. Cover of coloured paper. Slip case of card with collage. Appendix: original of the text in German.

17. Daniil Kharms. Incidents. [Sluchai] Lithographs by M. Karasik. St Petersburg: Kharmsizdat, 1992. 193 x 218. 44 pages with dust jacket, cover and slipcase. In Russian. A limited edition of 27 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Stitched. Text printed on packing paper, illustrations - on tissue-paper: monochrome lithograph. Frontispiece, five compositions on double pages, two single-page compositions. Corrugated card slipcase with collage fastens with laces.

18. Tamar. (Kings II, ch. xiii). Lithographs by M. Karasik. St Petersburg: published by Mikhail Karasik in collaboration with Delta and Aurora-Design Publishers, 1992. 400 x 270. 24 pages in a cover and slipcase. In English. A limited edition of 27 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Stitched. Text offset printed on coarse light-brown paper. Title-page opening and five single-page compositions - coloured lithographs. Card cover with flaps - lithograph in three colours.

19. *** Franz Kafka. Die Verwandlung. Album. Lithographs by M. Karasik. Prague: [M. Karasik], 1992. Printed in Hustopece u Brna (Czech Republic). 320 x 260. In an edition of 30 numbered and signed copies + two supplementary artist-made copies (e/a). Unstitched. 2 title-pages in German; 9 leaves (among them 2 folded leaves 320 x 520) inserted into a folder. Two double-page compositions, seven single-page ones and end-piece - black-and-white lithograph. Card folder covered with coloured paper, with lithograph.
*** The album formed the basis of two versions of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis in Russian and in German (see cat. 20)

20.1 Franz Kafka. Metamorphosis. [Prevrash'eniye] Lithographs by M. Karasik. Moscow: IMA-Press in collaboration with Dablus, 1992. 245 x 205. 78 pages in a cover and dust jacket. In Russian. A limited edition of 100 autographed and numbered copies. Stitched. Text offset printed on coarse light-brown paper. Half-title, title-spread, five page-length illustrations, one composition on centre-fold, end-piece - black-and white lithograph.

20.2 Franz Kafka. Die Verwandlung. St Petersburg: Mikhail Karasik in collaboration with Arsis Publishing House, 1993. 315 x 245. 80 pages in a cover, dust jacket and slipcase. In German. A limited edition of 150 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Stitched. Text and 10 illustrations offset printed, with appended separate sheet with original lithograph. Dust jacket - lithograph on green marbled paper. Case covered with black paper, lithograph pasted on. Appendix: an article by Vladimir Perts.



21. Daniil Kharms. Incidents 3. [Sluchai 3] Lithographs by M. Karasik. St Petersburg: Kharmsizdat, 1993. Printed in Hustopece u Brna (Czech Republic). 420 x 420 x 250. In Russian. A limited edition of 21 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Book in the form of a fan, with eight parts. When folded the book forms a three-sided prism. Printed on two sorts of paper. Text and illustrations - coloured lithograph. Card case covered with black paper; lithograph pasted on.

22. The Lamentations of Jeremiah. Album. Lithographs by M. Karasik. St Petersburg: [M. Karasik], 1993. Printed in Hustopece u Brna (Czech Republic). 477 x 380. A limited edition of 25 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Unstitched. Title-page in English - monochrome lithograph. Eleven illustrations - coloured lithographs inserted into a folder. Card folder (495 x 395) covered with red or bronzed paper, lithograph in two colours.

23. The Lamentations of Jeremiah. Lithographs by M. Karasik. St Petersburg: M.K. Publishers, 1994. 395 x 285. 24 pages in a cover and slipcase. In English. A limited edition of 27 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Stitched. Text offset printed on grey paper. Title-page double opening, five single-page and one double-page compositions - coloured lithograph. Card slipcase (410 x 290) with coloured lithograph.

24 Joseph Brodsky. Isaac and Abraham. [Isaak i Avraam] Lithographs by M. Karasik. St Petersburg: M.K. Publishers, 1994. 295 x 155 (folded). 34 pages in a cover and slipcase. In Russian. A limited edition of 47 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Book in the form of a concertina. Printed on one side of the sheet. Offset text. Title-page double opening and four single-page illustrations - coloured lithographs. Cover and slipcase (305 x 160) of card with text-collage - monochrome lithograph.

25. Nikolai Oleinikov. The Cuff of Love. [Manzheta lyubvi] Design by M. Karasik. St Petersburg: M.K. Publishers, 1994. 2 vols. In Russian. A limited edition of 37 copies of each, numbered and signed by the artist.
Vol. 1. 135 x 240. 24 pages in a cover, dust jacket and slipcase. Stitched. Text and illustrations offset printed. Body of the book has a triangular cut out containing a cufflink. Card slipcase covered with black paper, lithograph in two colours.
Vol. 2. 160 x 450. 12 pages in a cover and slipcase. Stitched parallel to spine. Text and illustrations offset printed. Body of the book has a triangular cut out left and right, containing cufflinks. Can be curled to form a roll, the cufflinks then serving as fasteners. Two variants of slipcase: black cloth slipcase, fastens with a large button; card slipcase covered with black paper, lithograph in two colours.

26. Daniil Kharms. La Vieille. Lithographs by M. Karasik. St Petersburg: M.K. Publishers, 1994. Translation of the text and an accompanying article by Jean-Philippe Jaccard (Geneva). 335 x 190. 20 pages in a cover and slipcase. In French. A limited edition of 33 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Stitched. Text offset printed. Card fly-leaves: two double-page and two single-page compositions - lithograph, collage. Four lithographs printed in two colours on grey paper. In a cover - lithograph, foil collage. Black card case (340 x 190) with cut-outs and collage.

27. Timur Kibirov. Kibirov's Bayan

28. Daniil Kharms. Do Miracles Exist? [Est' li chudo?..] Lithographs by M. Karasik. St Petersburg: Kharmsizdat, 1995. Kharms' texts compiled by Anna Gerasimova (Moscow). 320 x 248. 32 pages in a cover and slipcase. In Russian. In an edition of 21 numbered and signed copies + one supplementary artist-made copy (e/a). Unstitched double leaves. Text - lithograph in three colours. Two title-spreads, one double-page compositions, one single-page composition - coloured lithograph; four double-page compositions, five half-page-length ones - black-and-white lithograph, foil collage. Cover of coloured card with monochrome lithograph. Card case (340 x 265) covered with coloured paper, monochrome lithograph.

29. Paul Eluard. Love. [Lyubov] Design by M. Karasik. St Petersburg: M.K. Publishers, 1995. 310 x 100. 24 pages in a cover and slipcase. In Russian. A limited edition of 50 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Unstitched. Text offset printed. Body of the book has the form of a woman's torso. In a cover - coloured card with lithograph. Card slipcase - lithograph in two colours. Appendix: text in French.



30. Osip Mandelstam. Oh how afraid we are, you and I … ["Kuda kak strashno nam s toboy..."] Design by M. Karasik. St Petersburg: M.K. Publishers, 1995. 240 x 230. 32 pages in a cover and slipcase. In Russian. A limited edition of 50 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Stitched. Text offset printed. Book cover made from Belomorkanal cigarette packets. Card slipcase with coloured lithograph.

31. Timur Kibirov. Snowstorm [Buran]. Bottled in St Petersburg: M.K. Publishers, 1995. 190 x 80 x 50. 24 pages. A limited edition of 35 numbered and signed flasks. Bottling supervised by M. Karasik. Text - computer print on coloured paper. Cover - original plastic bottle. Cloth case painted with watercolour.

32. Mikhail Karasik. Diffuse Ruminations on Asceticism

33. Igor Terentyev. Alexey Kruchenikh. Ilya Zdanevich. Duet of Three Idiots

34. How Saint Francis Turned the Wild Wolf of Guibby to God. [Kak Sv'atoy Francisk obratil k Bogu svirepeyshego gubbiyskogo volka] (from the Book of Flowers of Francis of Assisi). Lithographs by M. Karasik. St Petersburg: M.K. Publishers, 1996. 455 x 270. 28 pages in a cover and slipcase. In Russian. A limited edition of 17 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Stitched. Text printed in lithograph in two colours. Title-spread, three double-page and five single-page compositions, one quarter-page-length illustration, end-piece - coloured lithograph. Card cover and slipcase (460 x 270) covered with coloured paper, with monochrome lithograph. Appendix: original Italian text and German translation.

35. David and Uriah

36. Charles Baudelaire. Le Joujou du Pauvre. Lithographs by M. Karasik. St Petersburg: Mikhail Karasik in collaboration with Serge Plantureux (Paris), 1996. 190 x 150. 16 pages in a cover and slipcase. In French. A limited edition of 36 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Stitched. Text offset printed. One double-page and six single-page compositions - coloured lithograph, photo-collage. Card slipcase with monochrome lithograph.



37. Mikhail Karasik. Le Cinquieme Element. Lithographs by M. Karasik. St Petersburg: Mikhail Karasik in collaboration with Serge Plantureux (Paris), 1997. 185 x 270. 20 pages in a cover. In French. A limited edition of 47 copies, numbered and signed by the artist. Stitched. Text - monochrome lithograph. One double-page and three single-page compositions - coloured lithograph, collage; five photo-collages. In a cover - grey paper, photograph.

38. Mikhail Karasik. Self-Portrait

39. Mikhail Karasik. Arabian Eros

40. Shulamite. The Song of Solomon

41. Mikhail Karasik. Minaret

42. Dmitry Shostakovich. Jewish Songs

43. Daniil Kharms. On the Death of Kazimir Malevich

44. Mikhail Karasik. Schritt-Weise

45. Mikhail Karasik. The Suitcase

46. Mikhail Karasik. The Mitten

47. Mikhail Karasik. The Passport

48. Mikhail Karasik. The Labour Book

49. Mikhail Karasik. Ecclesiastes 2000

50. Mikhail Karasik. The Bank Book

51. Mikhail Karasik. Lavatory

52. Mikhail Karasik. Acts. Dedicated to Bloom (Tableaux after James Joyce's Ulysses)

53. Mikhail Karasik. Book on Tasty and Healthy Food

54. Joseph Brodsky. Speech About Spilt Milk

55. Mikhail Karasik. Board of Honour

56. Mikhail Karasik. The Silver Age. Russian Types

57. Mikhail Karasik. Matjes Herring. St Petersburg: M.K. Publishers, 2004. 9,0 ? 22,3. 7 sheets in a cover. In an edition of 30 numbered and signed copies. Stitched. Handset letterpres test printed on paper plates. In a card cover with collage. Appendix: English translation of the text.

58. Mikhail Karasik. RYBA.

59. Mikhail Karasik. The Palace of Soviets. Design Competition.

60. GENESIS.

61. To the Affirmer of the New Art: Daniil Kharms. On the Death of Kazimir Malevich.