We’re pleased to present the cover art for Matthew Binder‘s forthcoming novel Pure Cosmos Club, available now for pre-order as both a trade paperback and a hardcover via Stalking Horse Press.
The press’s description? “In this biting satire, Matthew Binder takes surreal aim at the poses and pretensions of high art and fashion. With ruthless wit, Binder chronicles the struggles of Paul, an eccentric artist, and his companion dog, a disabled, quiche-obsessed terrier-mix named Blanche. Together they negotiate hilarious scenes of bad parties, bizarre couture, deranged friends, shady deals, unrequired love, sabotage, and inscrutable art. But there may be a way out for Paul when he meets James, a New Age guru and leader of a secretive cult: the Pure Cosmos Cub. Yet, every time Paul believes he’s ready for the “Ultimate Level,” James raises the price of entry. Just how far will Paul go for love, for art, and to attain cosmic oneness?”
For the full cover image and a statement from artist Keith Rondinelli, read on…
Artist Keith Rondinelli on the cover:
“The cover of Matthew Binder’s Pure Cosmos Club uses my artwork “Corridors.” The inspiration stems from my interest in 1970s graphic design. My father was a graphic artist, and when I was growing up there were always a lot of 70s Graphis Annuals around the house. As a kid I’d pour through these magazines, which often featured very surreal yet very colorful imagery—not quite graphic design, not quite illustration, but some amalgam of the two. The design of the era reflected the period’s hodgepodge of psychedelia, science fiction, and new age spirituality. Another influence on the piece was Giorgio de Chirico. I asked myself, what if de Chirico had used rainbow hues instead of his customary drab palette? Could that lonely, weird mood be retained in all the brightness? Could a vibrant landscape also be foreboding and sad? I think it can.”
Regarding the novel, Sam Lipsyte said, ““Pure Cosmos Club is an inventive, antic picaresque with a satirical eye trained on spiritual and aesthetic hucksterism. Matthew Binder sets them up and knocks them down in this witty, energetic novel. Long live Blanche the dog!” Courtney Maum, meanwhile, said, “”This bombastic send-up of the haute art world features a struggling iconoclast navigating a Palahniukian landscape of poser blowhards and sky-high art deals with the best canine sidekick in literature. There’s not another novel out there like this one.”
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