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Nick Blinko’s extraordinary new book of his artwork, Visions of Pope Adrian 37th, is now available. It consists of 87 drawings, a brief introduction by Blinko, and a short piece on Blinko from the acclaimed writer, and specialist, on outsider art Professor Colin Rhodes. The drawings are reproduced in their original A5 size. There are two different editions, a standard edition and a special edition.
The standard edition is limited to 370 copies, is bound in dark maroon Arbelave Buckram and the front image and spine text are gold-blocked onto the cover. The book has purple head- and tail-bands and black endpapers. Each copy contains an original portrait of Pope Adrian 37th, drawn by Blinko, who has also signed the same page, making every copy of the book unique. The standard edition costs £37 plus postage and packing.
Click here to order the standard edition.
The special edition is limited to 37 numbered copies, is bound in purple Arbelave Buckram; has a larger front image than the standard edition, which is, like the spine text, gold-blocked onto the cover. The book has purple and black head- and tail-bands and black endpapers; all three page-edges are gilded. An original portrait of Pope Adrian 37th by Blinko, larger and more elaborate than that in the standard edition, is drawn by the artist in each copy; the page is also signed by him. As with the standard edition, every copy of this book is unique. The special edition costs £137 plus postage and packing.
The special edition is now SOLD OUT.
We have shown samples of the front cover, and typical drawings, from the standard and special editions, though of course every copy is different.
Blinko also presently has a museum show of his work at Chichester’s prestigious Pallant House gallery until 7 August. For more details see here.
Pope Adrian 37th Psychristiatric was originally the title of a 1995 concept album by Nick’s band Rudimentary Peni, written while he was being detained in an English psychiatric hospital under Section 3 of the UK’s 1983 Mental Health Act. During that period, Nick was convinced that he was Pope Adrian 37th. Visions of Pope Adrian XXXVII was also the name Nick gave to a multimedia colour painting/drawing of his which was exhibited at St Martin in the Fields Church, London, by the National Schizophrenia Fellowship—now known as Rethink. The painting was executed in the 1980s, and was originally, and unsatisfactorily, titled Kaleidoscope before being re-named in the next decade.
