Choit
la plume
rythmique suspens du sinistre
s'ensevelir
aux  écumes  originelles
naguères d'où sursauta son délire jusqu’à une cime
flétrie
par la neutralité identique du gouffre . . .

–from Un Coup de Dés N’abolira Jamais le Hasard
by Stéphane Mallarmé

The master of a storm‑tossed ship may throw the dice, but can in no way alter the course of fortune. His ship will sink or remain afloat as destiny determines . . . and yet, in the words of Mallarmé, “something momentous far beyond the saving of the ship may result.” Mallarmé’s enigmatic poem gains much of its power from its appearance: the seemingly arbitrary but actually purposeful way in which he has arranged the poem to appear on the page.

The book is presented in the original French. Ellsworth Kelly has created eleven lithographs to accompany the text. While Kelly’s flat, monochromatic panels appear to be purely abstract, each draws on specific details observed by the artist, and each challenges the viewer’s perception and perceptiveness. A separate booklet translating the work into English is included.