John Cage: A Mycological Foray: Variations on Mushrooms

Format: Softcover with hardcover slip case

Measurements: 8.1 x 1.1 x 11 inches

Publisher: Atelier Éditions

An American composer and music theorist, John Cage was known for his indeterminacy approach to music believing in the ability of a piece to be performed in substantially different ways. Cage also stood as a pioneer to electroacoustic music and became a leading individual of the postwar avant-garde era.

These two volumes take Cage out of his musical element and into a mushroom-foraging expedition. Cage’s mushroom-themed compositions, photographs, illustrations and ephemera included in color and black and white fill the pages. Writings by Cage are embedded throughout the first volume surrounding a central essay analyzing Cage’s persistent relationship with mycology. Also included is a transcript of Cage’s 1983 performance, MUSHROOMS et Variationes.

The second volume is the inaugural reproduction of Cage’s 1972 portfolio, Mushroom Book, created in collaboration with illustrator Lois Long and botanist Alexander H. Smith. Immerse yourself inside the mycological world through Cage’s eyes with assorted works, images, compositions, philosophies and ephemera