Saatchi Gallery Subject of Saatchi Opus

The Saatchi Gallery is the subject of a new book, Saatchi Opus, that, for the first time, traces more than two decades of exhibitions at the famed contemporary art venue in England.

Comprising 850 pages, the limited-edition large-format book weighs 35 kilos (more than 75 pounds) and is 50 cm square (approximately 20 inches). It is hand-stitched, bound in leather, and presented in a specially commissioned inlaid wooden art crate. Edited by Edward Booth-Clibborn, Saatchi Opus presents essays by the art critics Richard Cork, Brian Sewell, and Sir Norman Rosenthal, as well as the art collector and actor Steve Martin.

Since its opening in 1985 in north London, the gallery has exhibited the work of leading contemporary artists, including such recognizable names as Lucian Freud, Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, and Zhang Xiaogang. The Saatchi Opus not only documents the gallery's history, it also includes unpublished installation photos and a specially commissioned photo of Damien Hirt's infamous shark "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" (1991). The latter is presented in the book as a life-size tipped-in poster—truly a collector's item.

The force behind the gallery, the man who has launched many artists on their careers, Charles Saatchi, has signed each of the 950 copies of Saatchi Opus.

The Saatchi Opus will be published next month. Advance pre-publication orders are being accepted; purchasers of the first 100 copies will have an opportunity to participate in an exclusive tour of the gallery at its current location, in the Duke of York's headquarters in Kings Road Chelsea, where it has been since 2008.

Retailing for £2250 (est. US $3,581), Saatchi Opus is available through October 31 at a special price of £995 (est. US $1,583).

For an overview of the book, click here. To see some of the content, click here.

To reserve a copy, click here or here; e-mail Hannah@krakengroup.com. You may also place an order by telephone; call +44 (0)20 7213 9587.

Related:
For an article about Damien Hirst's shark, click here.