Synopses & Reviews
If it's not an oxymoron to describe something as both distinguished and cutting edge, that's the perfect description for Rotterdam's Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art. This illustrated softcover book brings together a series of essays on contemporary art based on the center's high-octane Cornerstones lecture series. At each of the monthly lectures, one leading art historian focuses on one artist who is foudational to contemporary art. Among this volume's treasures are Donald Kuspit on Louise Bourgeois, Helmut Friedel on Gerhard Richter, Vanessa Joan Muller on John Baldessari and Douglas Crimp on Gordon Matta-Clark. These essays share the fascination that each of the authors has with the work of an artist and how this work functions in relation to larger contexts and broader ideas.
Synopsis
This publication compiles a series of essays on contemporary art written by leading art historians and experts. The majority of the essays were first presented in lecture format at Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art (Rotterdam, the Netherlands).
Bringing together both historical and intuitive approaches, these essays reflect the wealth of the exchange that exists between theoretical writing and artistic thinking, sharing the fascination that each of these authors has with both the work of an artist and how this work functions in relation to larger contexts and broader ideas.
Co-published with Witte de With
Contributors
George Baker, Mieke Bal, Ina Blom, Dominic van den Boogerd, Douglas Crimp, Dorothea von Hantelmann, Helmut Friedel, Donald Kuspit, Sven L tticken, Peter Osborne, Chantal Pontbriand, Kaja Silverman, Anne M. Wagner, John Welchman