GOAT - A Tribute to Muhammad Ali
"... the biggest, heaviest, most radiant thing ever printed in the history of civilization."
- Der Spiegel, Hamburg.
Page [1] [2] [3]
Every production detail has been meticulously managed as have the launch activities for the book itself - starting with the Frankfurt Book Fair, where two six-meter (20-foot) billboards showing powerful Neil Leifer images of Ali sat at the center of an enormous exhibition area.
Beyond this a boxing ring and seating space replicated the exact décor, ambience and lighting of the famous Cassius Clay vs Sonny Liston title clash of February 25, 1964, when the 22-year-old Ali won his first heavyweight title. Further international launches, including Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2003, will take the unique experience to audiences everywhere.
But why the enormous investment (of over 10 million Euros) on a project about Ali, especially after we've read all the books, seen the movies, watched some of the great documentaries and, after all these years, grown familiar with his story? Benedikt Taschen says, "We wanted to turn the logic of a conventional biography on its head. In this book, we lead from the photography, but even through the detailed narrative captions, we draw the reader into the written story and the texts. The end result is a structured narrative that's like the most richly detailed screenplay you can imagine. You could make a film straight from the book. And so the result is an experience that works on many levels, depending upon your mood, sensibilities and even the time available to you to taste the riches in this amazing monument."
****
* Limited to 10,000 individually numbered copies, each one personally signed by Muhammad Ali and Jeff Koons.
* Over 3,000 images - photographs, art and memorabilia, much of it published for the first time - from over 150 photographers and artists. Original essays and the best interviews and writings on the Champ of the last five decades, from hundreds of writers, totaling nearly 600,000 words.
* XXL Format: 792 pages, including two gatefold sequences measuring 200 cm x 50 cm (80" x 20") and nine gold-metallic double-page spreads printed in silkscreen, opening each chapter. Measuring 50 cm x 50 cm (20" x 20"), GOAT tips the scales at 34 kgs (75 lbs).
* Each copy comes in a silk-covered box illustrated with Neil Leifer's iconic 1966 photo, "Ali vs Williams."
* Bound by the official bindery for the Vatican, in pink leather, the color of Ali's first Cadillac. The bindery specializing in the most elaborate and oversized editions of the Koran and the Bible enforces the strictest standards of quality control and only several hundred copies can be assembled per week.
* Utilizing state-of-the-art digital technology, no expense has been spared to restore the original photographic materials to the highest possible standards. The results of this effort create unparalleled intensity and range in the colors, and exquisite tone and density within the duotone images.
Page [1] [2] [3]
- Der Spiegel, Hamburg.
Page [1] [2] [3]
Every production detail has been meticulously managed as have the launch activities for the book itself - starting with the Frankfurt Book Fair, where two six-meter (20-foot) billboards showing powerful Neil Leifer images of Ali sat at the center of an enormous exhibition area.
Beyond this a boxing ring and seating space replicated the exact décor, ambience and lighting of the famous Cassius Clay vs Sonny Liston title clash of February 25, 1964, when the 22-year-old Ali won his first heavyweight title. Further international launches, including Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2003, will take the unique experience to audiences everywhere.
But why the enormous investment (of over 10 million Euros) on a project about Ali, especially after we've read all the books, seen the movies, watched some of the great documentaries and, after all these years, grown familiar with his story? Benedikt Taschen says, "We wanted to turn the logic of a conventional biography on its head. In this book, we lead from the photography, but even through the detailed narrative captions, we draw the reader into the written story and the texts. The end result is a structured narrative that's like the most richly detailed screenplay you can imagine. You could make a film straight from the book. And so the result is an experience that works on many levels, depending upon your mood, sensibilities and even the time available to you to taste the riches in this amazing monument."
****
* Limited to 10,000 individually numbered copies, each one personally signed by Muhammad Ali and Jeff Koons.
* Over 3,000 images - photographs, art and memorabilia, much of it published for the first time - from over 150 photographers and artists. Original essays and the best interviews and writings on the Champ of the last five decades, from hundreds of writers, totaling nearly 600,000 words.
* XXL Format: 792 pages, including two gatefold sequences measuring 200 cm x 50 cm (80" x 20") and nine gold-metallic double-page spreads printed in silkscreen, opening each chapter. Measuring 50 cm x 50 cm (20" x 20"), GOAT tips the scales at 34 kgs (75 lbs).
* Each copy comes in a silk-covered box illustrated with Neil Leifer's iconic 1966 photo, "Ali vs Williams."
* Bound by the official bindery for the Vatican, in pink leather, the color of Ali's first Cadillac. The bindery specializing in the most elaborate and oversized editions of the Koran and the Bible enforces the strictest standards of quality control and only several hundred copies can be assembled per week.
* Utilizing state-of-the-art digital technology, no expense has been spared to restore the original photographic materials to the highest possible standards. The results of this effort create unparalleled intensity and range in the colors, and exquisite tone and density within the duotone images.
Page [1] [2] [3]
GOAT. Collector's Edition
Hardcover + Box, 50 x 50 cm (19.7 x 19.7 in.), 792 pages
$ 4500.00
$ 4500.00
A Tribute to Muhammad Ali. Limited to 9,000 individually numbered copies, each one signed by Muhammad Ali and Jeff Koons.
Howard L. Bingham and GOAT. Photo (c) Brian Malloy, March 2004
Jeff Koons, Muhammad Ali, and the Champ's Edition of GOAT at the Art Basel Miami Beach, December 2003