This is a unique, handmade artist’s book based on John Cage’s artwork, 640 numbers between 1 and 4.

Cage’s original piece is a computer-generated, randomized sequence of numbers between 1 and 4 arranged in forty blocks of digits, dot-matrix printed on a sheet of office paper. While planning a project to transform it into book form, the thought occurred to me: “Why don’t I ask the numbers how they would like to be represented?” And so the idea of this “assisted self-portrait” was born.

Each step of the way, I consulted the numbers to ask questions like “How many ‘verses’ should go on this page?” “In which of 4 ways should this verse be printed?” “In which of 4 colors?” “In what quadrant of the page?” Also, “How many decorative elements should accompany the verses on this page?” “Using which of 4 techniques?” “In which quadrant?” etc. This book is the result of our collaboration.

5.625” x 8”, 22 pp. Unique artist’s book. Includes an inserted photocopy of the copy of Cage’s piece that I used, with decades of markings on it.