Jeff Wall - Hardcover

Ostrander, Tobias

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 8492480270 ISBN 13: 9788492480272

Publisher: Editorial RM, 2008

Synopsis

Standing almost 14 inches wide by 20 inches tall, this exquisitely produced volume affords readers an unprecedented opportunity to study the work of the important Canadian artist/photographer Jeff Wall at the large scale for which his work is known. Informed by conceptual art, historical painting and avant-garde film, Wall began to produce large-format color transparencies, presented on light-boxes, in the late 1970s--a format that has become strongly identified with his work. This volume includes recent examples of this work, as well as large black-and-white prints--a format first incorporated into Wall's practice in 1996. Wall divides his photographs into two categories: documentary and cinematographic. A documentary photograph for Wall is tied to the traditional understanding of this term--a depiction of a specific time and place, without any overt manipulation on his part. A cinematographic photograph involves some form of intervention or restructuring by the artist. This category has ranged from slight movements of elements within a given situation to more elaborate approaches that involve the construction of sets and other aspects of stagecraft. Wall is best known for his cinematographic photographs, which have had a large influence on the expansion of notions of how the medium can be engaged. Rich in references to the natural environment and distinct urban character of Vancouver, where the artist lives and works, the photographs reproduced in this volume were primarily produced during the last seven years. Also available in a signed and numbered limited edition.

About this title

About the Author

Thierry de Duve has written extensively on modern and contemporary art, with an emphasis on the work of Marcel Duchamp and its legacy. A regular contributor to the journal October, he is editor of The Definitively Unfinished Marcel Duchamp (1991) and the author of Kant after Duchamp (1995). He has taught in the US and France, and lives and works between Belgium and France. Jean-Francois Chevrier is Professor of Contemporary Art History at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris. He has curated numerous exhibitions including: 'Another Objectivity' (with James Lingwood) (1989), 'Photokunst' (1989), 'Walker Evans and Dan Graham' (1992-1994) and 'Oyvind Fahlstroem', Barcelona (2001). He was also Curatorial Consultant for Documenta X in 1997. Arielle Pelenc is an art critic and curator who lives and works in France. She has written for Artefactum, Art Press, Parkett and Arts Magazine. Boris Groys was born in East Berlin and studied at Leningrad University. He emigrated to West Germany in 1981 and continues to work in Germany as a freelance author and critic. He has held senior academic posts at universities in Germany, Russia and the United Sates. He has been a contributor to Art in America and his books include The Total Art of Stalinism: Avant-garde, Aesthetic Dictatorship and Beyond (1992).

From Library Journal

There are a number of living artists whose reputations are solid but whose work is sadly unknown outside the art world. Fortunately, the "Contemporary Artists" series will go far to correct that. Affordable, thoroughly illustrated in color, these books provide maximum exposure for the price. Although this is enough to make the series worthy of consideration, it is important to point out what makes it unique. Each volume includes writings by the artists whenever possible. Of the two considered here, painter/printmaker Spero and photographer Wall, the latter is the more verbally prolific. In addition, a piece of literature was preselected by the artist to use as a tool for discussion. Put this together with essays by curators and critics, interviews from throughout the artist's career, and a handy chronology and you get an interesting, overall view of the artist. This multifaceted approach is rewarding not only for its comprehensive view of each individual artist but also because it allows each book in the series to vary according to its subject's strengths. A work in progress?these are the fifth and sixth titles, respectively?this series is a practical buy for most libraries but is especially recommended for academic and large public libraries.?Susan M. Olcott, Columbus Metropolitan Lib., Ohio
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Editorial RM
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 8492480270
• ISBN 13: 9788492480272
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 48