You can order artist Guy Richards Smit’s new monograph, A Mountain of Skulls, and have it delivered to you by the Postal Service.
But if you live in one of three New York City boroughs, there’s a more fun way to get your hands on the book: the artist himself will deliver it to you (in a socially distant way) on his bicycle. And he’ll sign it for you, too.
Smit, the painter and singer-songwriter for the New Wave band Maxi Geil! and PlayColt, will be “criss-crossing the city in the crisp fall weather, dressed in a Bill Cunningham-esque bright blue French workman’s jacket,” delivering his book to customers in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, according to public relations firm Shark Party Media.
Publisher Trela Media describes Smit’s monograph, which contains the artist’s paintings of skulls, as “an oddly affecting meditation on mortality, history and unbelievable human suffering.”
Smit has posted videos of himself delivering books to customers on his Instagram page. In one, the artist meets a fan in Bennett Park in Washington Heights as a greyhound looks on; in another, Smit hand-delivers a copy of his book to the artist William Powhida.
In yet another Instagram video, Smit explains that he had originally intended to deliver the first 20 books sold to New York City customers, but he decided to extend the offer.
“I’ve been having so much fun,” he said, “seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Except for one.” (He does not reveal the identity of that “one.” But it’s probably not the greyhound, who seemed very nice.)
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
