James Wedge Book

James Wedge.

Countdown Publications. London. 1972. First edition, sole impression. No. 349 of a limited edition of 500 copies, signed, dated and numbered by James Wedge. Hardback, oblong folio; black cloth boards with image pasted to board fore-edge and endpapers. [viii pages.] 21 b&w and colour photographs tipped-in on rectos only, with black glassine guards. English. 275 x 390mm. 1.2kg. . Very good; internally excellent, slight creasing to one glassine guard; light shelf wear to boards, a short 1.5cm indentation to top edge of front board.

In the early 1970s James Wedge switched career from fashion designer (he ran Top Gear and Countdown on the King's Road in the Sixties) to photographer. The resulting book was self published by Wedge and includes 21 tipped-in plates reproducing experimental photographs of his girlfriend and business-partner Pat Booth. The images have titles such as 'Peaches and Dreams' and 'Goodbye Pat', and feature a range of techniques including photomontage with rayograph, photo-collage with hand-colouring and fabric, and photograph with painting. Wedge's style is influenced by Man Ray, John Heartfield and Hans Bellmer but also reflects the tongue-in-cheek humour of Swinging London.