by Lynn Sures, Rick Potts, and Terrence Chouinard
Artists' Statement:
Based on Charles Mingus' musical work, Pithecanthropus erectus, images and words weave the factual tale of the discovery of early hominid Pithecanthropus erectus together with the music's story:
...the first man to stand erect...overcome with self-esteem, he goes out to rule the world...divided into four movements: (1) evolution, (2) superiority-complex, (3) decline, (4) destruction. (From Mingus' liner notes for the original LP release.)
Lynn Sures produced watermarked handmade hemp sheets and abaca pulp paintings for the book. Her letterpress-printed woodcut images incorporate polymer plate text. Original text is written by paleoanthropologist Rick Potts. Printing is by Terrence Chouinard.
