
© Estate of R. B. Kitaj, courtesy, Marlborough Gallery, New York
Image downloads are for educational use only. For all other purposes, please see our Obtaining and Using Images page.

© Estate of R. B. Kitaj, courtesy, Marlborough Gallery, New York
Image downloads are for educational use only. For all other purposes, please see our Obtaining and Using Images page.

© Estate of R. B. Kitaj, courtesy, Marlborough Gallery, New York
Image downloads are for educational use only. For all other purposes, please see our Obtaining and Using Images page.



R. B. Kitaj
American, 1932-2007
Final: City of Burbank, California, Annual Budget 1968-69 from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part, 1969-1970
color screen print and photoscreenprint
Edition: 55/150
sheet: 31 x 22 1/2 inches (78.74 x 57.15 cm)
Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York
Gift of Anthony Harris, 1979
P1979:38.30i
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Work Type
Information may change due to ongoing research.Glossary of Terms
In a 1964 essay, R. B. Kitaj stated, “Some books have pictures and some pictures have books.” “In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part,” a portfolio of fifty screen prints based on enlarged photographs of the covers of books from Kitaj's personal library, takes the artist’s statement even further—some books are pictures. Reinvented as art, this literary cross-section offers an imaginative glimpse into literature, film, and sociopolitical history narrated by the books’ titles and, in some cases, accompanying illustrations. Kitaj had a lifelong obsession with books and took much of the inspiration for his artwork from literary sources. These works also serve as an open-ended portrait of the artist, given the eclectic interests and tastes shown in his personal collection. Kitaj chose to retain evidence of the books' age and wear as seen in torn jackets, stained covers, and worn bindings. Influenced by both Pop art and Marcel Duchamp's readymades, Kitaj jokingly referred to these repurposed book covers as his “soup can.”
Label from R. B. Kitaj: Don’t Listen to the Fools, June 21–September 15, 2013
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- Hollywood, wie es wirklich ist from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- The Tower from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- London by Night - Life and Art in Photograph; No. Four from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- How to Read from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Coming of Age in Samoa from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Edward Weston from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Partisan Review from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Permit Me Voyage from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Wir haben es nicht vergessen: Nous n'avons pas oblié: We have not forgotten from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Hanging in Chains from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Industrial Camouflage Manual from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Albyn from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Zeppelin Nights from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Workers in the Dawn from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- China of To-day from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- With Scott to the Pole from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Bub and Sis from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- The Bronxville Portfolio from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Towards a Better Life from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Vampyr from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Struggle in the West: The Bombing of London ,
- The People of the Abyss from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
Madame Jane Junk
,- Safeguarding of Life from the portfolio Struggle in the West: The Bombing of London ,
- Photo-Eye (El Lissitzsky) from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Der Russische Revolutionsfilm from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- The Jewish Question from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- The Plague from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Max and the White Phagocytes from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
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,- Setpiece 3 from the portfolio Struggle in the West: The Bombing of London ,
- Setpiece 1 from the portfolio Struggle in the West: The Bombing of London ,
Notes
,- On The Safeguarding of Life in Theatres (Epilogue) from the portfolio Struggle in the West: The Bombing of London ,
- Setpiece 2 from the portfolio Struggle in the West: The Bombing of London ,
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Jot 'em Down Store
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Ezra Pound I
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- Lou Gehrig from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Fighting the Traffic in Young Girls from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Short Takes from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Intelligence Bulletin from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Articles and Pamphlets from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
Michael Hamburger
,- Transition from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Edward Hopper from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- The Prevention of Destitution from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Menschen der Zeit from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- The Wording of Police Charges from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- The Caliph's Design from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
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- O'Neill from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- Die Donau from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
- The Congo and Other Poems from the portfolio In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part ,
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,Robert Duncan
,The Defects of its Qualities
,- Walter Lippmann ,
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