Ai Weiwei

survey by Karen Smith, interview by Hans Ulrich Obrist, focus by Bernard Fibicher. 2009

Ai Weiwei (b. 1957) is truly an artist for the twenty-first century. In his sculptures, he refashions artefacts and antiques into surprising, sometimes monumental constructions such as "Template" (2007): hundreds of wooden doors and windows taken from demolished Ming and Qing dynasty temples and arranged into a massive outdoor sculpture.As much as these materials look to the past, they also speak of the present, because never before (and probably never again) have they been available in such abundance. Like his benches carved from centuries-old temple beams, "Template" is a sly commentary on the speed with which China's building boom is obliterating its past. (When Template collapsed in a rainstorm two weeks after its unveiling at Documenta 12, the artist embraced its demise as a clever artistic twist)... What truly marks out Ai as a twenty-first century artist is the multiplicity of his roles: not just artist, designer and architect but also curator, publisher, web blogger and compass for an entire generation of Beijing artists.He has been described more than once as the Chinese Warhol, overseeing a factory-like studio (Fake) with dozens of assistants engaged in countless projects in a range of disciplines. And indeed his outsize public persona is an inseparable part of his art. It should come as no surprise that when Herzog & de Meuron came to Beijing to conceive of a new stadium for the 2008 Olympics, Ai was the one who provided them with a design concept: an interlaced form based on the woven baskets his wife collects at local antique markets.At a time when the West is finally discovering Chinese contemporary art, Ai is one of the few to have transcended the label 'Chinese artist'... (Amazon)

Bauhaus women : art, handicraft, design

Ulrike Muller with the collaboration of Ingrid Radewaldt and Sandra Kemker. 2009

This monograph - published to coincide with the Bauhaus exhibition at the MoMA (November 8, 2009-January 25, 2010) - celebrates the work of twenty women artists who created feverishly in all the teaching, workshop, and production branches of the Bauhaus - women who should have been included in the major art histories of the twentieth century long ago, but whose names, masterpieces, and extraordinary lives have only gradually become known to us. Recognized figures such as Anni Albers - the first textile artist to be exhibited at the MoMA - and Marianne Brandt - whose elegant geometric tableware have become classic Alessi designs - are showcased alongside previously unknown artists such as Gertrud Grunow, who taught "Harmonizing Science"; Helene Borner, who led the textile workshop; and Ilse Fehling, a sculptor and the most sought-after set and costume designer of her generation. Founded in 1919, the Bauhaus and most of its students were poor and lacking in just about everything. What it did have, however, was an abundance of enthusiasm, talent, and innovative creativity. Furthermore, over half of those seeking to enroll at the school were women. This tornado of the "fairer sex" was initially seen as a threat, and the weaving mill was quickly turned into a separate "women's facility." Nevertheless, over the years the mill became a hotbed of groundbreaking production, whose impact far surpassed national borders, as demonstrated by the international acclaim of photographers Lucia Moholy, Florence Henri, and Grete Stern. (Amazon)

George Tooker

Robert Cozzolino, Marshall N. Price, M. Melissa Wolfe. 2008

One of America's pre-eminent painters, George Tooker (born 1920) is known for his haunting works that evoke the alienation and anonymity of urban life. Working in egg tempera, a Renaissance medium that produces a luminous quality yet requires meticulous application, Tooker first came to prominence as part of the post-war Magic Realist movement, creating surrealistic visions that captured the uncertainty of the Cold War era. Often compared with Hopper and Wyeth, Tooker continues to examine modern life with his disquieting imagery. This beautifully produced book, published to coincide with the first major retrospective in 30 years, features superb reproductions of Tooker's timeless paintings, and includes essays offering new perspectives on his passion for composition, his spirituality and his exploration of identity. [Amazon]

Inside the painter's studio

Joe Fig. 2009

Inside the Painter's Studio collects twenty-four remarkable artist interviews, as well as exclusive visual documentation of their studios. Featured artists were asked a wide range of questions about their day-to-day creative life, covering everything from how they organize their studios to what painting tools they prefer. Artists open up about how they set a creative mood, how they choose titles, and even whether they sit or stand to contemplate their work. Also included are a selection of Fig's meticulously detailed miniatures. In this context Fig's diminutive sculptures reproducing minutiae of the studio, from paint-tube labels and paint splatters on the floor to the surface texture of canvases become part of a fascinating new form of portraiture as diorama. Inside the Painter's Studio offers a rare look into the self-made universe of the artist's studio. Inside the Painter's Studio features interviews with Gregory Amenoff, Ross Bleckner, Chuck Close, Will Cotton, Inka Essenhigh, Eric Fischl, Barnaby Furnas, April Gornik, Jane Hammond, Mary Heilmann, Bill Jensen, Ryan McGinness, Julie Mehretu, Malcolm Morley, Steve Mumford, Philip Pearlstein, Matthew Ritchie, Alexis Rockman, Dana Schutz, James Siena, Amy Sillman, Joan Snyder, Billy Sullivan, and Fred Tomaselli. (Amazon )

Lucian Freud on paper

editor, Mark Holborn. 2009

Lucian Freud is widely regarded as one of the greatest living artists, and drawing is fundamental to his development as an artist and to how he sees. Speaking recently about his early years he claimed, "I would have thought I did 200 drawings to every painting in those early days. I very much prided myself on my drawing." Drawing became an important part of Freud's life from the start and a famous sketchbook, The Freud-Schuster Book, has survived dating back to January 1940, when Freud was in Snowdonia with Stephen Spender, as do sketches from Freud's life as a merchant seaman on a cargo vessel in the Atlantic in 1941. His then surreal style lent itself to illustrations and his fascination with animals, birds, and fish was revealed in the famous line drawings he produced for Nicholas Moore's book of poems, The Glass Tower (1944). This volume charts Freud's work on paper, including the etchings, over his entire career. It includes the formative early work, the sketches in preparation for painting his masterpiece, Large Interior W11 (after Watteau) (1983), the sketches of the completed painting in the studio and the astonishing later studies of his mother. The book ends with the etchings of recent years. The works on paper are an extraordinary achievement, providing even deeper insights into the work of perhaps the greatest figurative artist of our time. (Amazon)

Art that moves : the work of Len Lye

Roger Horrocks. 2009

A companion to the author's bestselling biography of Len Lye, this compelling volume shifts the focus from Lye's life to his art practice and innovative aesthetic theories about "the art of motion," which continue to be relevant today. Going beyond a general introduction to Lye and his artistic importance, this in-depth book offers a detailed study of his aesthetics of motion, analyzing how these theories were embodied in his sculptures and films. Thoroughly researched and fully illustrated, this unique set also includes a DVD featuring Lye's films, kinetic sculptures, and interviews with the artist himself. (Amazon)

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