Artist's book, 'Agrippa : a book of the dead', by William Gibson, Dennis Ashbaugh, K. Begos, New York, 1992

Artist's book comprising 46 page sequence of combinations of the letters ACGT. Accompanied by 7 leaves featuring copperplate etchings by Dennis Ashbaugh (reproduced offset in deluxe edition), in sepia tones, some on tinted backgrounds.

Etchings overprinted in unfixed powder-like ink (which rubs off if touched) with images derived from early 20th century advertising.

Additional fugitive images of a photographic exposure timing plummet and a television set appear on an otherwise blank page and on p. [34] of DNA sequence respectively. Some leaves are torn and singed at the edges.

The last 20 leaves are glued together to form a block into which is cut 10 cm. square niche holding computer floppy disk.

Bound in linen-covered boards, discoloured to simulate fire damage (or singed?).

Front board embossed with title.

Wrapped in fabric netting and housed in a dark slate grey case (39 x 7 x 59 cm.) consisting of base with removable lid made of kevlar. The book rests within rectangular ridge around base lined with honeycombed board reinforced with wire mesh and cotton and partly overlaid with distressed paper, treated to simulate corrosion and fire damage.

Original 'Agrippa' photograph album label set in polymer, top right-hand corner of lid.

Published in a deluxe edition of 10 artist's proofs, an edition of 95 copies and a simpler edition of 350 copies.

A collaboration between the artist Dennis Ashbaugh and the author William Gibson, this book is designed to self-destruct on use.

A computer floppy disk encrypted with a virus contains an autobiographical text by William Gibson relating to the death of his father when the author was aged six, triggered by the discovery of his father's old photograph album, a type marketed by Kodak in the 1920s under the name 'Agrippa'.

When the disk is viewed, the words of the story begin scrolling up the screen at a preset speed, the virus corrupting all the data. The first 'reading' of the disk is therefore also the last.

The disk is contained in a cut-out portion of the book and is accompanied by a 46 page 'text' of DNA code and a series of copperplate etchings by Ashbaugh representing images of human genes, the latter printed in ink designed to rub off if touched which echoes the book's theme of decay.

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