F A N T A S T I C
A : T H I R T E E N D R A W I N
G S B Y
L E O B E N S E M A N N. 1 9 9 7
This is a new edition of a remarkable book by the artist
and printer Leo Bensemann (1912-1986) first published in
Christchurch by The Caxton Press in 1937. It was
at the time the most ambitious publication attempted by
the printing and publishing firm established by Denis
Glover and John drew in 1935. In A Catalogue of
publications from the Caxton Press Christchurch up to
February 1941, Fantastica was described
(presumably by Glover) in these terms: "Nothing quite
like these drawings has appeared in New Zealand. Mr
Bensemann has a unique gift as an illustrator and book
decorator, and his choice of text is informed by a quiet
humour . . . The cylinder press behaved with unwonted
docility, and we are proud to have printed this book so
well. The engravers should share any praise for the
quality of the work." The drawings were originally
executed in pen and ink, Bensemann's favoured medium at
the time.
The present edition is printed from the
same blocks as the first edition, Bensemann having
carefully preserved the metal blocks in his studio. Each
drawing illustrates a different literary text drawn from
a diverse range of sources including Christopher
Marlowe's Dr Faustus, the Brothers Grimm, Sir
Thomas Browne, Japanese folk tales, and the Arabian
Nights. The drawings are equally various in their
stylistic origins. Among the many influences on
Bensemann's eclectic but unique style are Albrecht Durer,
Aubrey Beardsley and Japanese woodcuts.
Peter Simpson's introduction places
Fantastica within the context of Bensemann's career
and draws attention to the subtle interconnections
between the drawings arguing that far from being a
random assortment of items Fantastica is a
unified whole in which word and picture combine to tell
a compelling 'story'.
Out of print.
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