ASGER JORNÆS WRITINGS ON ART & ARCHITECTURE, 1938-1958. Fraternite Avant Tout

The Danish artist Asger Jorná(1914û1973) was active in the H°st, CoBrA and the Situationist International groups. The numerous leaflets, exhibition catalogues, interviews, articles and books he wrote throughout his career attest to his urge to provoke debate at all levels. Fraternit? Avant Tout gathers JornÆs writings on art and architecture, translated into English for the first time. Asger JornÆs statement ôIn the beginning was the imageö represents both the starting point for discussions with his contemporaries and also the key element in his overall philosophy. After more than half a century, his groundbreaking theory on image creation coupled with his Marxist political convictions are strikingly fresh and apposite. His arguments on the image and imagery, not only as a medium for artistic imagination and aesthetic articulation but also as a critical instrument for progress in human life, strike immediate resonances today when image based popular cultures and technologies exert an undeniable influence on our own society. JornÆs writings also shed new light on the origin and development of the Situationist movementÆs theory of architecture and urbanism. (This is especially pertinent in the context of recent scholarly work on the Situationist International, in which Jorn is often characterized as being only concerned with art matters.) This critical introduction to JornÆs philosophy on the relationship between art and architecture sets a context for a contemporary audience to fully appreciate how his thought and writing evolved., English, Year2013, Illust. B/W130, Illust. Color, ISBN 9789064507601, Code 1070. Softbound, In Pristine Condition, Location of Exhibition: Nordic Art Centre, Helsinki, Pages 304, Size 9 1/2ö x 7ö.…