The United States Constitution Series

The Bill of Rights
limited edition set
An Edition of 25 Copies of a Set of Ten Works by Richard Minsky

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THE FIRST AMENDMENT

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Issued February 19, 2001

The First AmendmentThe First Amendment: click here for another view

Reliquary for the Ashes of Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses.

Click to see a larger imageUpon publication the author lost the freedoms of Press, Religion, Speech and Assembly in some countries. The Fatwah issued on Rushdie, and the book-burnings made headlines around the world.  The fact that an ancient form of censorship exists in the 21st century warrants the inclusion of this book in the series. Not the book-burning kit of the earlier unique work, this is a new book-shaped reliquary containing the burned book. Click the burning book for another view. The book was burned on 01/01/01. On the left is the book after the burning, before being placed in the reliquary. 

12" x 12" x 12" (plus base). Reliquary containing the burned book is ink-jet on paper laminated to binder's board, with polyurethane and UV filter coatings, stained glass, 23K gold leaf, felt covered wood base with 23K gold stamped text of The First Amendment.


Above: copy number I, front & foredge, on base


Above: copy number I, side view, on base


Above: copy number
I, spine view


Above: copy number I, foredge view


Above: copy number II, looking in through the foredge glass


Return to The Bill of Rights limited edition set

The Bill of Rights edition is in the permanent collections of
Yale University Arts of the Book Collection
The Art Institute of Chicago Ryerson & Burnham Libraries
Click the links above to make an appointment to view this work. 

Read the review in The New York Times

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To continue the exhibition, click one of the sections or a button

Section A Bindings 1968-79 
Section B
Bindings 1979-85 
Section C
Bindings 1986-88 
Section D
Sculptural Bookworks from 1988 
Section E
Bindings 1988-94 
Section F
Painted Car, Watercolor studies, Bindings 
Section G
Sculptural bookworks 1988, 1994 
Minsky's Resume and Bibliography



©2001 Richard Minsky