In 1962 Kitaj was introduced to the commercial screenprinter Chris Prater, with whom he would produce his finest body of prints. A self-confessed bibliophile, books frequently provided the impetus for Kitajs work, their torn covers appearing in early collaged prints alongside photographic negatives and hand drawn designs. In 1969, Kitaj worked closely with Prater to produce his most important meditation on literature yet: the major screenprint suite In Our Time.
Universally regarded as his graphic chef doeuvre, the project involved selecting 50 book covers for facsimile reproduction, each text being carefully chosen from the artists ever-expanding library. Ever since student days spent rifling through the shelves of 4th Avenue bookstores, books had held a special, talismanic worth for Kitaj, both as sources of education and as physical artifacts. The final collection, whittled down from countless volumes, showcased works Kitaj considered significant for their literary contribution, the intensity of their reading experience, and their enduring aesthetic appeal.
In their simple power of replication, in the naked presentation of each time-worn jacket, Kitajs prints constitute a powerful document, a diary, almost, crystallising moments of social change and the changes within his own life.
