Colophon: a thoroughbred golden calf 2003 ISBN 0-9543123-2-5
Signed limited edition of 250, each hand-finished by the artist.
12cm x 36 cm hardbound in green cloth, with colour endpapers.
56pp Greencoat Velvet 170 gsm recycled, set in Century Gothic.
Binding/embossing/gold by Peter Franklin.

During his Arts Council 'Year of the Artist' residency at the Eden Project, Christopher Cook initiated a series of large experimental graphite works exploring the prevailing research ethos, and a seperate sequence of small studies referring to bio-diversity and growth. These studies have continued since the residency, and in his artist's book A thoroughbred golden calf, 23 examples accompany a system-based poem which Cook began at the same time. This text uses the alphabetical tags for DNA proteins (a t g & c) to generate two parallel strands of 23 four-line stanzas which explore the relation of genetics to corporate exploitation. Defying strictures of the format, their tone is both ironic and yet anti-determinist. Hand-finishing and embossing (each copy unique) complement this highly distinctive interpretation.