Art Hazelwood created this book for the exhibition
'Banned and Recovered' at the San Francisco Center for the Book
in 2008.
When the original book was
published in 1759, Candide was denounced by both church
and state. In
its first year the Great Council of Geneva and the administrators of Paris
had banned it, but the book succeeded in selling 20,000–30,000
copies. In 1762, Candide was listed in the Catholic Church's list
of prohibited books.
The book opens to reveal Candide and Cunegonde kissing
behind a screen of roses in the castle where they both
grew up – “The Best of All Possible
Worlds.” Thus begins the story of all the tragedies of their lives. When
the accordion folds are pulled out a trail of rape, murder, inquisition, thievery,
slavery and sea battles is presented. In the very center a peaceful scene of
Candide in Eldorado: a place where people live in peace, a momentary respite
from the insanity of European expansion and colonization. Along the bottom
of the imagery is text from the book with the final bit of wisdom discovered
after all the disasters, “We must cultivate our own gardens.”
Candide or Optimism, 2008, edition of 15, screenprint,
closed size: 7 3/8” x 12 1/2” x 1/2”, open
size 7 1/4” x 72”, binding: gate fold hardcover,
cover paper: various, marbled endpapers, thirteen pages,
book body paper: Lana Cover White. $500
