Picture/Poems by Andrew Hoyem. 1975.

Arion Press. San Francisco, 1975. A singular melding of poetry and image, Picture/Poems is a landmark work by American typographer, printer, and poet Andrew Hoyem, issued in 1975 by the celebrated San Francisco fine press he founded. This beautifully crafted limited edition — one of only 500 copies — showcases an extraordinary convergence of visual art and written word, capturing more than a decade of creative exploration.

Designed and printed at Arion Press, a studio synonymous with the revival of traditional letterpress bookmaking and the French livre d'artiste tradition, Picture/Poems pairs 102 original drawings by Hoyem with his related writings spanning 1961–1974. The result is an illustrated catalogue that reads as much like an artist's sketchbook as a collection of verse — intimate, expressive, and deeply personal.

Issued to coincide with Hoyem's exhibition at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (California Palace of the Legion of Honor) in early 1975, the book reflects the ethos of Arion Press's early years: to create works that are collectible art objects as well as literary statements. The large quarto format, hand-set type, and thoughtful integration of image and text make this edition a compelling artifact of 20th-century artist-book culture.