STEIDL–WERK No.31: Ghosts in the machine
STEIDL–WERK No.31: GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE is Theseus Chan and Gerhard Steidl’s latest adventure in redefining what constitutes a book. The normal starting-point for any book is blank sheets of paper, yet for STEIDL–WERK No.31 that is not the case. Instead, Chan and Steidl have taken already printed “make-ready” sheets from a recent Steidl book—the sheets produced on press while the printing plates build up the right levels of ink to deliver optimal results. Each make-ready sheet shows a different collection of inks and they are normally discarded; here they are the very heart of the book. On top of these sheets (fed into the press in a random order) is printed a new series of Chan’s ink drawings—shifting, bleeding, abstract forms or “ghosts,” which interact with the underlying images and texts in unpredictable ways. The result is an experiment with technical and optical accidents; each book in the edition, like Chan’s drawings, is unique. Presented in a cardboard box with ten posters, ten postcards and a zine, as well as a copy of Steidl Magazine No.7 edited by Chan, STEIDL–WERK No.31 is a treasure trove of offset innovation.
Limited edition of 500
Book 1
160 pages
9.1 × 11.6 in. / 23 × 29.5 cm
98 color images
Open-spine softcover
Book 2
All 10 folded signatures from book 1, unfolded, to use as posters
37.2 × 24.5 in. / 94.5 × 62 cm
98 color images
10 postcards
8.3 × 5.8 in. / 21 × 14.8 cm
10 color images
Zine “Ramblings” and Drawings
16 pages
8.3 × 11.7 in. / 21 × 29.7 cm
15 color images
Softcover
Steidl Magazine No.7
56 pages
8.3 × 11.7 in. / 21 × 29.7 cm
49 color images
Softcover
All housed in a screen-printed cardboard box
232 pages, 270 images
25.5 x 32.5 cm
Number of items: 5
English
ISBN 978-3-96999-252-4
09/2023
© Steidl
Description
STEIDL–WERK No.31: GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE is Theseus Chan and Gerhard Steidl’s latest adventure in redefining what constitutes a book. The normal starting-point for any book is blank sheets of paper, yet for STEIDL–WERK No.31 that is not the case. Instead, Chan and Steidl have taken already printed “make-ready” sheets from a recent Steidl book—the sheets produced on press while the printing plates build up the right levels of ink to deliver optimal results. Each make-ready sheet shows a different collection of inks and they are normally discarded; here they are the very heart of the book. On top of these sheets (fed into the press in a random order) is printed a new series of Chan’s ink drawings—shifting, bleeding, abstract forms or “ghosts,” which interact with the underlying images and texts in unpredictable ways. The result is an experiment with technical and optical accidents; each book in the edition, like Chan’s drawings, is unique. Presented in a cardboard box with ten posters, ten postcards and a zine, as well as a copy of Steidl Magazine No.7 edited by Chan, STEIDL–WERK No.31 is a treasure trove of offset innovation.
Limited edition of 500
Book 1
160 pages
9.1 × 11.6 in. / 23 × 29.5 cm
98 color images
Open-spine softcover
Book 2
All 10 folded signatures from book 1, unfolded, to use as posters
37.2 × 24.5 in. / 94.5 × 62 cm
98 color images
10 postcards
8.3 × 5.8 in. / 21 × 14.8 cm
10 color images
Zine “Ramblings” and Drawings
16 pages
8.3 × 11.7 in. / 21 × 29.7 cm
15 color images
Softcover
Steidl Magazine No.7
56 pages
8.3 × 11.7 in. / 21 × 29.7 cm
49 color images
Softcover
All housed in a screen-printed cardboard box
232 pages, 270 images
25.5 x 32.5 cm
Number of items: 5
English
ISBN 978-3-96999-252-4
09/2023
© Steidl
