The Academy of Realness Publishing
Artist Book
Terminator Self-Portraits
Publisher: The Academy of Realness
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Publication Year: 2024
Edition Size: 40 copies
Size: 105 mm x 148 mm - Portrait
Format: Perfect Bound Softcover
Pages: 54 pages
Cover: Full-colour printing
"Terminator: Self Portraits" is a curated artist book by Rafael Melendez, published by The Academy of Realness in 2024. This limited edition book, with only 40 copies available, offers a deeply personal glimpse into the artist's exploration of self-identity over the past twelve years.
Measuring 105 mm by 148 mm and bound in a perfect soft cover, the book comprises 54 pages of carefully selected self-portraits. These portraits initially shared with Melendez's now-husband Jodie, have been subtly transformed through AI, imbuing them with new meaning and inspiration. The cover features full-colour printing, showcasing Melendez's work's refined artistry and understated beauty.
"Terminator: Self Portraits" embodies humour and documents the evolving relationship between the artist and his husband. This publication is a modest yet significant contribution to self-portraiture discourse, reflecting the artist's journey with a quiet elegance. The subtle interplay of traditional and modern techniques underscores a balanced and measured approach, making "Terminator: Self Portraits" a compelling addition to any collection.
Artist Book
Terminator Self-Portraits
Publisher: The Academy of Realness
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Publication Year: 2023
Edition Size: 25 copies
Size: 105 mm x 148 mm - Portrait
Format: Perfect Bound Softcover
Pages: 24 pages
Cover: Full-colour printing
"The End of Bauldrillard" by Rafael Melendez is a limited-edition artist book that thoughtfully integrates Jean Baudrillard's philosophical concepts with contemporary themes. Published by The Academy of Realness in 2023, this work is a careful exploration of Baudrillard's ideas on Similacracy and hyperreality, presented with an emphasis on subtle humor and modern aesthetics.
Artist Book
The End of Seduction
Publisher: The Academy of Realness
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Publication Year: 2023
Edition Size: 25 copies
Size: 105 mm x 148 mm - Portrait
Format: Perfect Bound Softcover
Pages: 24 pages
Cover: Full-colour printing
Rafael Melendez's "The End of Seduction" continues his exploration of contemporary themes, following his previous work, "The End of Bauldrillard." This limited edition artist book, published by The Academy of Realness in 2023, offers a nuanced examination of Jean Baudrillard's philosophical concepts, focusing on seduction, reality, and representation.
Artist Book
The Naked Lunch
Publisher: The Academy of Realness
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Publication Year: 2023
Edition Size: 45 copies
Size: 148 mm x 210 mm - Portrait
Format: Perfect Bound
Pages: 196 pages
Cover: Full-colour printing
This edition reimagines William Burroughs' stream-of-consciousness cult classic, *The Naked Lunch*, through computer-augmented and AI-generated images. Offering a fresh and innovative perspective, it blends text and visuals to create a captivating experience for readers.
Artist Book
Terminator: Liquid Metal (Terminator)
Publisher: The Academy of Realness
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Publication Year: 2023
Edition Size: 40 copies
Size: 210mm x 148mm - Portrait
Format: Perfect Bound Softcover
Pages: 58 pages
Cover: Full-colour printing
Liquid Metal (Terminator) is a thoughtfully crafted artist's book showcasing early AI drawings. This 2023 publication features large-headed beings with intertwining limbs processed through AI to evoke the appearance of 3D liquid metal forms reminiscent of terminators. These figures confront new beginnings, symbolized by Buddhas and empty spaces, offering a contemplative exploration of transformation.
Interspersed within the book are appropriated works from other admired artists, reflecting a desire for future collaboration and inclusion in group shows. This artist's book is a subtle and reserved manifestation of creative aspirations.
Artist Book
Feedbacks
Publisher: The Academy of Realness
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Publication Year: 2023
Edition Size: 40 copies
Size: 210mm x 148mm - Portrait
Format: Perfect Bound Softcover
Pages: 58 pages
Cover: Full-colour printing
"FEEDBACKS" is a unique artist book by Rafael Melendez, published in 2024. This limited edition book presents an innovative approach to artistic exploration, where small cutouts from various art publications, including art magazines, art journals, and art catalogues, are physically manipulated to create new visual experiences.
The artist conducted a digital shaman ritual by combining manual dexterity with digital techniques. By intuitively dragging the cutouts over the scanning bed of a printer in the studio, new variations emerged, barely distinguishable to the knowing eye. Each piece is a testament to the subtle transformations that occur through this meditative practice.
"FEEDBACKS" is a modest yet insightful contribution to contemporary art discourse. It reflects a thoughtful journey through the interplay of physical manipulation and digital rendering, offering a quiet yet profound commentary on the evolution of artistic expression. This publication stands as a balanced and measured addition to any art enthusiast's collection, embodying the artist's meticulous process and the nuanced outcomes of their practice.
Artist Book
Gonzalez-Torres : A Novel
Publisher: The Academy of Realness
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Publication Year: 2023
Edition Size: 40 copies
Size: 105mm x 148mm - Portrait
Format: Perfect Bound
Pages: 54 pages
Cover: Full-colour printing
Gonzalez-Torres: A Novel uses AI generative technology to delve into Felix Gonzalez-Torres' "Untitled" (Go-Go Dancing Platform) 1991. One page discusses the artwork, while the opposite page features quotes from Jean Baudrillard. This unique format mirrors The Little Library of Art (1960s-1970s), a series known for its slim volumes on artists and art movements, published in French and English by Methuen. These publications targeted art enthusiasts and scholars, offering insightful and compact explorations of the art world. This book is part of a series of 18, each highlighting a special artwork by a transgressive visual artist paired with a transgressive literary figure and/or philosopher.
Artist Book
Don Quixote: Love Me Forever
Publisher: The Academy of Realness
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Publication Year: 2022
Edition Size: 20 copies
Size: 210 mm x 297 mm - Portrait
Format: Perfect Bound
Pages: 64 pages
Cover: Full-colour printing
This book reimagines Cervantes' “Don Quixote” through computer collages and the Burroughnian cut-up style. Inspired by Kathy Acker’s “Don Quixote, Which Was A Dream” and Borges’ “Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote”, it blends manipulated scanned images with appropriated text. This edition provides a fresh and innovative perspective on the classic, merging text and visuals to create a captivating narrative experience.
Artist Book
SEMI-AUTOMATIC DRAWINGS
Publisher: The Academy of Realness
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Publication Year: 2021
Edition Size: 10 copies
Size: 148 mm x 210 mm - Portrait
Format: Perfect Bound
Pages: 72 pages
Cover: Full-colour printing
“Semi-Automatic Drawings” is a unique collection of Rafael Melendez's pseudo-outsider illustrations. Created by layering scanned drawings in Adobe Photoshop and inspired by Picabia's 'Transparencies,' this book captures a distinctive moment in Melendez's practice. It merges stream-of-consciousness markings with impromptu scribbles to create iconic, dreamy, map-like works. Published by The Academy of Realness, it offers a fresh look into Melendez's innovative and experimental artistic process.
Artist Book
Rafael Melendez Drawings
Publisher: The Academy of Realness
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Publication Year: 2023
Edition Size: 10 copies
Size: 270mm x 205mm - Portrait
Format: Staple Bound
Pages: 16 pages
Cover: Full-colour printing
Explore the limited edition 16-page colour pamphlet by artist Rafael Melendez, featuring a rare collection of his early anthropomorphic drawings and works on paper. Published in 2021 and limited to just ten copies, this pamphlet spans from the early 2000s to 2014. It includes depictions of ghost clusters, ghost machines, and characters made from gesso-dipped ribbons, providing a unique insight into Melendez's artistic exploration of emotions. This exclusive collection offers a refined look at the early stages of Melendez's creative journey.
Artist Book
Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Passport
Publisher: The Academy of Realness
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Publication Year: 2021
Edition Size: 5 copies
Size: 110mm x 170mm - Portrait
Format: Stapled Bound
Pages: 24 pages
Cover: Full-colour printing
Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Passport is a rare and exclusive artist book published by The Academy of Realness, featuring the work of Rafael Melendez. Limited to just 5 copies, this 2021 edition reimagines the concept of a passport. The cover replicates the Art in America issue featuring Gonzalez-Torres' Untitled (Blood), 1992 (as a plastic bead curtain), honouring his legacy in the arts community.
Inside, selected works from Gonzalez-Torres are interspersed with blank pages, allowing owners to add their own reflections and projections. Inspired by Gonzalez-Torres' Passport booklets, this edition offers a unique and contemplative exploration of his themes, making it a valuable piece for collectors and art enthusiasts.
Artist Book
Girlfriends/Cowboys: Passport
Publisher: The Academy of Realness
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Publication Year: 2021
Edition Size: 5 copies
Size: 110mm x 170mm - Portrait
Format: Stapled Bound
Pages: 24 pages
Cover: Full-colour printing
Richard Prince Girlfriend/Cowboys: Passport" is a limited edition artist book by Rafael Melendez, published by The Academy of Realness in 2021. This publication is part of Melendez's series of DIY, one-of-a-kind book projects created from materials in his studio. The covers feature scans of an art catalogue cutout, while the interior pages present sections of a large geometrical drawing, meticulously divided and transformed into pages for this unique book.
Artist Book
New Works After-Sturtevant
Publisher: The Academy of Realness
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Publication Year: 2022
Edition Size: 40 copies
Size: 105mm x 297mm - Portrait
Format: Stapled Bound
Pages: 16 pages
Cover: Full-colour printing
Artist Book
Rafael Melendez: The Academy of Realness
First published in 2018 in London, UK
edition of 10
Hardcover image wrap 48 pages
ISBN 9780464846079
20 × 25 cm
£25 Inquire