Roland Penrose - Author
Featured books by Roland Penrose
The Road is Wider Than Long
Recently re-issued in two new editions - this one a facsimile of an edition published for London Gallery Editions in 1939 - Roland Penrose’s The Road is Wider Than Long is a stunningly-packaged reproduction of his surrealist “Image Diary from the Balkans July-August 1938”. Given that this is considered to be one of the earliest examples of a British Surrealist photobook, it really is essential for the shelves of all art and photography aficionados. Moreover, it’s an absolute must-have for anyone interested in Lee Miller’s extraordinary life and work - she inspired its surrealist love poem text, and the book is dedicated to her. In 1938 author, curator and painter Penrose took a trip around the Balkans with his new lover, Lee Miller, the former model turned exceptional photographer. With the world on the brink of war, the couple travelled through Greece, Bulgaria and Romania documenting unique landscapes through the lens of their cameras - and Surrealism. The images provide intimate insights into Roma communities that were about to be disrupted (if not destroyed) by war, with profound power to make you ponder them at length. When their journey drew to an end, Lee returned to Cairo, and Roland to London, where he created The Road is Wider than Long. His original hand-written book (see here for a review of a stunning reproduction of this) was published by London Gallery Editions in June 1939, in a limited edition of 510 copies, ten of them on hand-made paper with an original drawing illuminated and signed by the author. And that’s what this book is - a reproduction of that beautiful first printing, with a cover designed by Hans Bellmer. The layout and typography are perfection, as is this book as a document of a personal trip that had profound resonance - both to Lee and Roland personally, and in its importance to Surrealist history.
Other books by Roland Penrose
Miro
A new edition of this classic survey on the life and work of Spanish surrealist, Joan Miro, by his close friend, historian and fellow artist Roland Penrose. Among the great 20th-century masters, the surrealist painter Joan Miro stands out for the atmosphere of wit and spontaneity that pervades his work. Miro's art went through many phases, and its major features - his signs and symbols, his series of anguished peintures sauvages in the 1930s, his lyrical, poetic gouaches, his monumental sculptures and ceramics, his unprecedented use of poetic titles, and his attachment to nature and to the night - are discussed here by Roland Penrose, a friend of the artist for almost five decades. A brief epilogue by Eduardo de Benito, London correspondent of the Spanish art periodical Lapiz, illustrates the developments of Miro's last years. This new revised edition, now illustrated in colour throughout, includes a foreword by Antony Penrose, outlining the relationship between his father and the artist, as well as updates to the Bibliography.
The Road Is Wider Than Long
Recently published in two new editions - this one a facsimile of the author’s original hand-written photo book - Roland Penrose’s The Road is Wider Than Long is a glorious reproduction of his surrealist “Image Diary from the Balkans July-August 1938”. Considered to be one of the earliest examples of a British Surrealist photobook, it’s essential for aficionados of photography and art, for anyone interested in the extraordinary life and work of Lee Miller, who inspired its love poem text, and to whom the book is dedicated. In 1938 author, curator and painter Penrose journeyed around the Balkans with his new lover, Lee Miller, the former model turned exceptional photographer. With the world on the brink of war, the couple documented unique landscapes and their inhabitants through the lens of their cameras - and Surrealism. The images provide intimate insights into communities that were about to be disrupted (if not destroyed) by war, with profound power to make you ponder them at length. Roma feature frequently, with Lee having become close to a particular community who gifted her a hand-embroidered ceremonial sheepskin coat. When their journey drew to an end, Lee returned to Cairo and Roland to London, where he created The Road is Wider Than Long. This edition of the book is a facsimile of his first hand-written copy, with its soulful surrealist love poem to Lee, and his records and memories of their trip. This book is so wonderfully produced, you feel it could be his actual first copy - the scratches and inconsistencies of ink on paper seem so real. It’s a beautiful reproduction of a document so vital to the Surrealist canon. See here for our review of the book’s alternate new edition - a facsimile of the version published for London Gallery Editions in 1939.
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