Synopses & Reviews
Irrational Judgments examines the close friendship and significant exchange of ideas between Eva Hesse (1936andndash;1970) and Sol LeWitt (1928andndash;2007) in New York City during the 1960s. Taking its title from LeWittandrsquo;s statement andldquo;Irrational judgments lead to new experience,andrdquo; this book examines the breakthroughs of the artistsandrsquo; intertwined careers, offering a new understanding of minimal, post-minimal, and conceptual art amid the eraandrsquo;s political and social upheavals.
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Kirsten Swenson offers the first in-depth discussion of the early critical developments of each artist: LeWittandrsquo;s turn from commercial design to fine art, and Hesseandrsquo;s move from expressionist painting to reliefs and sculpture. Bringing together a wealth of documents, interviews, and imagesandmdash;many published here for the first timeandmdash;this handsome publication presents an insightful account of the artistsandrsquo; influence on and support for each otherandrsquo;s pursuit of an experimental practice. Swensonandrsquo;s analysis expands our understanding of the artistsandrsquo; ideas, the importance of their work, and, more broadly, the relationship of the 1960s New York art world to gender politics, the Vietnam War, and the city itself.
Review
andldquo;Kirsten Swenson presents a nuanced argument of the period and the artists, and she places the relationship between LeWitt and Hesse at the center of it.andrdquo;andmdash;Elisabeth Sussman, Whitney Museum of American Art
Synopsis
An intimate study of the friendship and creative dialogue between two artists, offering an in-depth understanding of their work and the upheavals of 1960s New York
Synopsis
An intimate study of the friendship and creative dialogue between two artists, offering an in-depth understanding of their work and the upheavals of 1960s New York
Irrational Judgments examines the close friendship and significant exchange of ideas between Eva Hesse (1936 1970) and Sol LeWitt (1928 2007) in New York City during the 1960s. Taking its title from LeWitt s statement Irrational judgments lead to new experience, this book examines the breakthroughs of the artists intertwined careers, offering a new understanding of minimal, post-minimal, and conceptual art amid the era s political and social upheavals.
Kirsten Swenson offers the first in-depth discussion of the early critical developments of each artist: LeWitt s turn from commercial design to fine art, and Hesse s move from expressionist painting to reliefs and sculpture. Bringing together a wealth of documents, interviews, and images many published here for the first time this handsome publication presents an insightful account of the artists influence on and support for each other s pursuit of an experimental practice. Swenson s analysis expands our understanding of the artists ideas, the importance of their work, and, more broadly, the relationship of the 1960s New York art world to gender politics, the Vietnam War, and the city itself."
Synopsis
This insightful study centers on the friendship and artistic influence between Eva Hesse and Sol LeWitt, offering an in-depth understanding of their work amid the upheavals of 1960s New York.
About the Author
Kirsten Swenson is assistant professor of art history, University of Massachusetts, Lowell.