NONFICTION - Sept. 4, 1994

THE WORLD OF DONALD EVANS by Willy Eisenhart (Abbeville Press: $19.95 ; 176 pp.) First published in 1980 and long out of print, this unique book is as delicate and delightful as its cult reputation would have you believe. Evans, who died in an Amsterdam fire at age 31, was an American artist who used watercolors to create thousands of individual stamps for dozens of imaginary countries. Putting it that plainly, however, does no justice to the magical places and images Evans created. Barcentrum, named for a friendly Amsterdam cafe, featured his favorite drinks, while the Amis and Amants (Friends and Lovers) archipelago had islands “stretching from the little Premiers Amours (Puppy Love) toward distant L’Amour Perdu (Lost Love).” Both witty and delicate, Evans’ stamps made playful use of the artist’s philatelic knowledge: When the state of Mangiare was taken over by enemy forces, the invaders’ stamps used a traditional overprint with a wacky name, “Zone Antipaste.” Painted with a marvelous specificity, Evans’ stamps create a calm and tranquil world we would give anything to visit, or even live in. “Stamps are terrifically rich,” is how Evans explained his passion. Especially when someone of imagination and invention is doing the designing.