In 1928, Georges Bataille published his “pornographic” novella Story of the Eye under the pseudonym Lord Auch. Infamous in its own day, this erotic tale has become a pivotal text for art history, comparative literature, and cultural criticism. Bataille’s Eye, edited by Deborah Cullen, presents essays, artworks and research related to Story of the Eye and is the first book to reproduce the original illustrations created by André Masson and Hans Bellmer for the first two editions of the novella. Bataille’s Eye also includes a detailed publishing history that outlines the various appearances of the tale since 1928 along with a lengthy “excavation” project comparing key passages from four known versions of Bataille’s tale, including a now-rare 1953 translation. A unique set of prints commissioned from 13 international artists and printed at Robert Blackburn’s legendary Printmaking Workshop in New York City has been reproduced in this volume under the title Oeillet.
Editor: Deborah Cullen
Publisher: Institute of Cultural Inquiry
Book design: forger.com
ISBN: 978-1-889917-00-9 (Trade Edition) — OUT OF PRINT
The Collector’s Edition, a complete set of the original prints, packaged in a gold-stamped, red-silk-lined case along with the original unexpurgated book cover, is available through the ICI. Visit the ICI Gift Shop to purchase the Collector’s Edition of Bataille’s Eye.
ISBN: 978-1-889917-01-6 (Collector’s Edition)
