The Chop Suey Club [INSCRIBED]

[Bruce Weber]

An inscribed copy of Weber's photographic study of his friend Peter Johnson, a young wrestler from Wisconsin. Weber met Johnson in 1996 and became fascinated by his youthful presence and sense of being. The Chop Suey Club collects together three years of portraits of his muse. Johnson playing American football, Johnson fishing, Johnson in chaps, Johnson wrestling, Johnson as a sailor, Johnson surfing, Johnson dining with a monkey, Johnson with dogs. . .  Chop Suey was a nickname Weber gave to Johnson, inspired by an old cookbook. The film Chop Suey was released in 2001 starring Johnson as well as Robert Mitchum, Wilfred Thesiger, Diana Vreeland and was a cinematic scrapbook of Weber's personal passions.
 
The book is warmly inscribed to 'Barbara' by Bruce Weber. Loosely inserted is a postcard of a Weber image, with a handwritten message to verso - 'Barbara. Happy new year. Hope you are feeling better. Love [?Nan (Weber)]. X'.
 
[Hasselblad Center. The Open Book. p.386]



Bruce Weber. Edited and designed by Dimitri Levas. Arena Editions. Sante Fe. 1999. First edition. Inscribed by Weber to the title-page - 'for Barbara / Love Bruce' with numerous 'X's. Hardback, large octavo; olive cloth-bound boards, blind-stamped with title and the words "who touches this touches a man" [Walt Whitman], dust jacket. [c.280 pages.] Illustrated throughout with b&w and colour full-page photographs. English. 220 x 170mm. 1kg. 9781892041197. Fine, in near fine dust jacket; with very slight rubbing to jacket forecorners.