Paper Placemats
Atlanta: J&L Books, 2004. Oblong volume, perfect-bound, measuring 9.75 x 13 inches: 40 leaves. Original glossy white wrappers lettered in black, corners rounded. Leaves printed recto only, many in color.
First edition of this collaborative public art project consisting of forty paper placemats, each featuring a different photograph, illustration, or story having to do with the idea of “place.” Contents include photographs by Michael Northrup and Lars Tunbjörk, illustrations by Paul Marlow and Leanne Shapton, and fiction by Amie Barrodale and Gilbert Sorrentino, among others. In 2004 and 2005, volunteers helped distribute copies of Paper Placemats to restaurants and diners across the United States, although as editor Jason Fulford recalls, “it was surprisingly hard to give them away as many businesses were skeptical of anything really being free” (Brooklyn Rail, June 2025). Paper Placemats would be reissued in 2007; copies of this first edition are uncommon. A fine example.
Price: $125.00