Jeff Wall - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 8493612391 ISBN 13: 9788493612399

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:

Born, living, and working in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wall has been a key figure in the city's arts scene for years. Early in his career, hehelped define the so-called Vancouver School and he has published essays on the work of his close colleagues and fellow VancouveritesRodney Graham, Ken Lum and Ian Wallace. His tableaux very often take Vancouver's mixture of natural beauty, urban decay and postmodernand industrial featurelessness as their generic backdrop.In 2002, he was awarded the Hasselblad Award. In 2006, he was made a Fellow ofthe Royal Society of Canada. [2] Jeff Wall was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in December 2007.[3] In April 2008, Wall wasawarded the Audain Prize for Lifetime Achievement, British Columbia's annual award for the visual arts.

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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Editorial RM
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 8493612391
• ISBN 13: 9788493612399
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 48