The Lapis Press

The Lapis Press was founded in 1984 by artist Sam Francis with the goal of producing unusual and timely texts in visually compelling formats. Published editions comprised poetry, fiction, and essays on contemporary art, philosophy, literature, and Jungian psychology. During this time, Lapis also published books created in collaboration with significant contemporary artists. These livres d'artiste employed a variety of media, including lithographs, etchings, and letterpress, printed on specially selected papers and bound by hand.

After the death of Sam Francis in 1994, The Lapis Press honored his legacy of collaboration by producing a series of etching editions with contemporary artists such as Vija Celmins, Rebecca Horn, Anish Kapoor, Guillermo Kuitca, Ed Moses, Gabriel Orozco, Guiseppe Penone, Martin Puryear, David Reed, Ed Ruscha, Niki de Saint Phalle, Robert Therrien, and Christopher Wool.

The Lapis Press is committed to collaborating with contemporary visual artists throughout the world who possess a unique and uncompromising vision. The studio provides a dynamic and enriching environment that enables artists to articulate work in any medium and is dedicated to achieving the level of trust necessary to realize successful editions. The quality and relevance of the work produced are a direct result of the enduring relationships Lapis cultivates with its artists.