Synopses & Reviews
The work of Eva Hesse (1936and#150;1970), one of the greatest American artists of the 1960s, continues to inspire and to endure in large part because of its deeply emotional and evocative qualities. Her latex and fiberglass sculptures in particular have a resonance that transcends the boundaries of minimalist art in which she had her roots. Hesseand#8217;s breakthrough solo exhibitionand#151;
Chain Polymers at the Fischbach Gallery in New York in 1968and#151;was a turning point in postwar American art.
Eva Hesse: Sculpture focuses on the artistand#8217;s large-scale sculptures in latex and fiberglass and provides a rare opportunity to look at Hesseand#8217;s artistic achievement within the historical context of her life in never-before-seen family diaries and photographs. Essays consider Hesseand#8217;s art from a variety of angles: Elisabeth Sussman discusses the sculptures shown in the 1968 solo exhibition; Fred Wasserman delves into the Hesse familyand#8217;s life in Nazi Germany and in the German Jewish community in New York in the 1940s; Yve-Alain Bois examines Hesseand#8217;s works within the context of the art and aesthetic theories of the 1960s; and Mark Godfrey analyzes the importance of Hesseand#8217;s celebrated hanging sculptures of 1969and#150;70. In addition to color reproductions of the artistand#8217;s sculpture, the book features a copiously illustrated chronology of the artistand#8217;s life.
About the Author
Elisabeth Sussman is Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and author of
Eva Hesse (Yale).
Fred Wasserman is Henry J. Leir Curator at The Jewish Museum, New York.
Yve-Alain Bois is Professor at the School of Historical Studies, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, N.J.
Mark Godfrey is Lecturer in the History and Theory of Art at University College London.