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Anthology

Four book-spine prints by James McQueen make up 'Anthology', released by Castle Fine Art in two chapters, in 2023 and 2026. Each print lines up the spines of imagined books carrying titles from his earlier works, and each chapter was also sold as a set of two.

All Anthology Works By James McQueen (6)

Significance & Analysis

'Anthology' turned McQueen's back catalogue into his subject. Most of his prints give a single phrase a whole book cover; these gather a shelf of them into one image, so the series works as a running record of his best-known lines.

Spines on canvas and in print

The idea reached canvas and print within days of each other. In early September 2023 McQueen posted 'Orange Spines', a painting of book spines, and the first two 'Anthology' prints followed on 14 September 2023, his first release of their kind. Both sold out, and he kept painting spines, reaching canvases of 8 x 6 ft in 2024.

The second chapter

McQueen returned to the format on 21 August 2026 with 'My Life in Stories', the second chapter of 'Anthology'. The two new prints moved to a long, narrow frame and a smaller edition. The release was close to selling out during early access and had sold out by 23 August. McQueen called it "the full collection of James McQueen stories in one print".

Where it sits

'Anthology' followed the single-title covers of 'Non-Fiction (2023)'. In 2024 he kept returning to his catalogue in other ways: 'Short Stories' joined two earlier titles on one cover, and the lenticular prints of 'Volume' showed two of his best-loved images in one.

What Edition Sizes and Formats Do the Anthology Prints Come In?

'Anthology I' and 'Anthology II' (2023) were each issued in an edition of 195, with artist's proofs and printer's proofs, and the set of two was also an edition of 195. They are silkscreen and archival pigment on deckle-edged 410gsm Somerset Satin paper, about 150 x 99 cm, floated in a frame behind 3mm float glass. 'My Life in Stories I' and 'II' (2026) were each an edition of 95, framed at 54.6 x 154.9 cm (21.5 x 61 in), and were also offered as a framed set of two.

Can the 2023 Anthology Prints Hang Either Way?

Yes. McQueen designed 'Anthology I' and 'Anthology II' to hang either portrait or landscape, telling collectors it was "up to you how you like it". Hung one way, the spines read as a stack of books; hung the other, as a row on a shelf.

Why Did McQueen Turn His Titles Into Book Spines?

The collection was inspired by the pile of books on his wife's bedside table, and McQueen treats his own phrases the same way: "Books, like people, have personalities." Taking each title out of its original cover and setting it beside others creates new pairings and new jokes, an effect the 2026 chapter leans on most.