Grapefruit (First Edition, inscribed at the Judson Church Gallery opening, 1966) by [Fluxus] Yoko Ono (author) - 1964

Tokyo: Wuntemaum Press, 1964. First Edition. First Edition. One of 500 copies printed, preceding the UK edition by four years. INSCRIBED by Yoko Ono on the first blank: "To Helen, / 1966, opening / Judson Church Gallery / NYC, NY / Yoko Ono." The author, poet, and conceptual artist's first book.

The inscription refers to opening night of "The Stone" on March 10th, 1966, a collaborative environment conducted by Ono's then-husband, Anthony Cox. Michael Mason supplied sound forms, Jon Hendricks supplied "air", and Jeff Perkins a film message. For her part, Ono contributed "Eye Bags": black bags which participants crawled inside of and could see through, although they could not be seen within by spectators-in effect the inverse of a one-way mirror.

Ono's first book, a groundbreaking conceptual piece made up of "event scores," series of actions, ideas, or instructions that take the place of physical works of art and can be performed by another individual (an example being the piece titled, "Painting to Exist Only When It's Copied or Photographed: Let people copy or photograph your paintings. Destroy the originals.")

While a handful of signed copies have have shown up in commerce in the last couple of decades, most have generic inscriptions referencing a season, e.g. 1965, Autumn. This is the only copy we have encountered with a contemporary inscription that can be pinpointed to a time and place-and most importantly, one of Ono's own installations.

Very Good or better in original white perfect-bound wrappers. Wrappers lightly soiled and foxed, with some of the usual production wrinkle at the spine. Still, a tight, square copy. In a lovely black cloth clamshell box with a leather spine label titled in gilt.

Munroe and Hendricks, Yes Yoko Ono, pages 82-83, 313. Hendricks, Fluxus Codex, pages 418-419. Celant, Book As Artwork, page 61.