Aphorisms is the last poem that Jesse Murry wrote, during the final days of his life in 1993. This handset edition—designed and letterpress printed by Rory Sparks and including the marks and lines from Murry's original draft—consists of 11 pages of the poem, a portrait of the artist, and a colophon, all within a portfolio constructed from handmade, debossed paper. 100% of proceeds will benefit the Jesse Murry Foundation.

Murry first wrote the poem by hand in the hospital while unable to speak, asking his partner George to recite it back to him, and for nearly 30 years, nobody else knew of its existence. In 2021, the handwritten pages of the poem were discovered by writer and curator Jarrett Earnest while doing research for an exhibition of Murry's late oil paintings, Rising, at David Zwirner New York.

The edition was commissioned and produced by Stephanie Snyder, director and curator of the Douglas F. Cooley Memorial Art Gallery, Reed College. With special thanks to Lisa Yuskavage for her advisory role on this project and her lifelong support of Jesse Murry’s legacy.

To purchase, visit the PLATFORM website.