The Book of Slab

Devised and produced by Ted Hopkins in association with the publisher, Champion Books. Melbourne : Champion Books, 1983. Quarto, lettered English buckram with diecut shape of Australia, illustrated endpapers, pp. [228], illustrations, ephemera tipped-in, vinyl disk. Printed in an edition of 250 copies (from the prospectus, which is not included).

A fascinating Australian artist’s book from the 1980s. An interesting aspect to this book is that the original purchase price was means tested according to the income of the purchaser. Long-term unemployed and pensioners paid $40 for a copy, those with an income of less than $20,000 paid $80, and those with an income above $30,000 paid $150. Regional galleries could secure a copy for $100, while National and State Galleries were charged $500.

‘The Book of Slab shows how omnivorous books by artists can be. There is everything; an extract from the Universal Oxford Dictionary, a horse racing form, A Coles New World docket, letterheads, the Space Poems, a double page from a road directory, graphs, a record pressed in red vinyl 50 Guitars Go Slab Italiano, photographs of The World’s Tallest Tree, and so on…’ – Artist’s Books, Monash University Library, exhibition catalogue, 2011, p. 4