THE BOOK OF 32

THE BOOK OF 32

a deluxe limited-edition art book by DJ Barrett,

with photographs by Gina Hyams

The Story

During a trip to Oaxaca City just before the pandemic hit, I visited the Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca (IAGO), a graphic arts center established by the late artist Francisco Toledo. The center is home to an incredible library containing over 30,000 art books—Toledo’s personal collection that he donated for public use. I wanted to just camp out for months in that library, but needed a way to focus my limited time with such an overwhelming collection.

So I devised a project for myself: I would choose 32 books that I particularly wanted to look at, go to the 32nd page of text in each book, and extract a quote of 32 words from that page.

For me, it was a way of “reading” the collection, or at least a manageable piece of it. While I was doing that, my writer/artist wife Gina took 32 photos in the library, thus marking our artistic first collaboration.

Once back in my studio in San Miguel de Allende, I used the texts and the photos as the basis for 32 mixed-media collage pieces, each measuring 16” x 16”, the results of which are contained in this book.

What both Gina and I intend with this work is to evoke the place itself—those beautiful book-lined rooms, vintage printing presses, and garden courtyards. As well, the process of gleaning the collection for the quotes is made visible in Gina’s photos, and then manipulated as imagery that is placed in conversation with, and provides connective tissue to, the work as a whole. THE BOOK OF 32 can also be viewed as an homage to Toledo himself, whose inspiration as an artist and human being imbued my creative process.

The Edition

Meticulous high-resolution scans of the original pieces were made by Ri Anderson in San Miguel and an edition of 32 copies printed by Grupo Fogra in Mexico City.

The book measures the same size as the original pieces (16”x16”), and comes in a handsome protective slipcase.

Each copy is numbered and signed, with an original drawing enclosed.

There are just a couple of copies still available for purchase. .