And now, last year, the book Penetralia by Sarah Lucas and Julian Simmons, which appeared at the Sadie Coles Gallery for the eponymous exhibition. It is a hand-printed book bound in linen in a highly expensive limited edition. As the title says, ‘Penetralia’ are a matter of the most inward intimacy, in Lucas’s case of phalluses cast in plaster, penis-like objects, lumps and stone axes, presented in the exhibition as small sculptures on pedestals and shown in the book against a jet-black background, as if they were archaeological discoveries. The first page shows the contour of a phallus filled in black with loose scrotum, like a ridiculous prehistoric cave drawing. This is followed on the reverse page by an illustration of a freshly ploughed field. From the beginning, a selection is made from an embarrassment of riches, from seeds to the fecund moist soil through the archaic to the mythological and back to the fully tangible. This is followed by a series of rather exaggerated, sometimes incomprehensible texts, followed by two pictures showing Lucas and Julian Simmons naked in kitchen aprons. Then, in about 150 black and white photographs, the small sculptures are documented and staged from various points of view and with photographs of details, accompanied by sentences and poems, such as

‘That which goes forth by night is within me.  Millions of enchantments. 
That which cometh forth by day is attached to my eye.  Millions of enchantments. 

The mundane shell is lifted by the leg of heaven. 
Thou makest an end to the night; Hail phallus!’

Penetralia is an eccentric and also melancholy publication that lies in one’s hands both lightly and heavily, it is a book between medieval love poetry, neo-Pre-Raphaelite enthusiasm and Arts & Crafts cult, fitted out with dark imagery, framed by absurd artist portraits and produced with totally captivating printing techniques.  Extract from Spike Art Quarterly #22.

Limited edition of 20 | Cloth Hardback | £/$/€ POA | Privately Published

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