Arion Press’s version lays bare the psychological underpinnings of Milne’s work. Beloved for its whimsical tone, intentional misspellings, and childlike patter, the tale reflects the writer’s attempt to reconcile horrors he witnessed during World War I with an idealized, rural England. Sandow Birk’s pen-and-ink renderings provide a visual counterpoint to Milne’s story, deepening the exploration of life, death, war, peace, love, and companionship.
The evocative artwork tacks between scenes of the present and the past, with images from Milne’s Hundred Acre Wood rendered as flashbacks or perhaps even fever dreams of an earlier, more innocent time. Inspired in part by the men and women living in his own Long Beach, California, neighborhood, Birk offers an unflinching commentary on how society treats the unhoused, while at the same time helping to humanize them.
Production Details
Limited to 250 copies for sale. ( Fine Press Edition: 210 copies, Deluxe Edition, with signed reflief print: 40 copies)
Large quarto, 12 3/8 x 9 3/8 inches, 136 pages printed in two colors throughout.
56 drawings in total, including full-page tableaux and hand-drawn banners for each chapter head and the title page.
Front and rear endsheets feature Birk’s double-page map of the Hundred Acre Wood.
Printed on white 150 gsm mould-made Hahnemühle Ingres.
Printed by letterpress from metal type cast and hand-set onsite.
Birk’s custom drawing for the cover incorporates the titling and credits into a streetscape rendered in four colors: rust, beige, black, and silver.
Signed by the artist.
Arion Press publication #127, 2024.
(The Fine Press edition is pictured above, inquiries for the deluxe edition can be emailed to Halden Willard at exit@cclarkgallery.com)
