Portfolio containing 14 original prints by Mussio done in various printing techniques, printed on 7 large folded sheets, plus colophon page. Folio (15 3/4 x 11 3/4 inches). Original printed wrappers, contents loose as issued. Some extremely minor scuffing, some light foxing to colophon, overall excellent. Pollenza, Italy: La Nuova Foglio Editrice, 1978. Limited edition of 50 hand-numbered and signed copies.

Magdalo Mussio (1925-2006) was an Italian writer, artist, film animator, and magazine editor. He studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze and the Experimental Center of Cinematography in Rome before going on to serve as editor of several Italian cultural publications including Marcatré, creative director for a number of films, and author of several books. He was also associated with Gruppo 63, the neo-avant-garde literary movement in Italy inspired by modernist English writers such as TS Eliot and Ezra Pound.

In the 1970s, Mussio participated in exhibitions of Italian Visual Poetry at the Finch College Museum in New York and at the Italian Institute of Culture in Tokyo. His work collaged together painting, writing, and poetry. He also took on the role of artistic director at the publishing house La Nuova Foglio, known for its publications of artist's books and limited editions of graphic works.

This portfolio was published by La Nuova Foglio during the time period when Mussio served as artistic director. It is comprised of 14 prints done in various printing techniques, including lithography, blindstamp, drypoint, and calcography. Each print is numbered, signed, and dated by Mussio, as is the colophon page.

Art critic Gillo Dorfles was a key proponent of Mussio's work, categorizing it as "poemi visivi" and his process as "pensiero figurato". He once said of the artist, "I segni possono essere lettere o filastrocche, ma anche tratti del tutto asemantici e proprio per questo caricabili d’un significato più misterioso: quello che ogni singolo spettatore gli vorrà attribuire, così da rendere ogni 'poema visivo' – come sempre dovrebbe essere per tutte le opere d’arte – l’incontro tra l’immaginario dell’artista e quello del fruitore."

Very scarce; as of July 2026, OCLC does not locate any holdings of this volume outside of Italy.

Book ID: 53731

Price: $2,500.00