Doug Aitken

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Hubertus Butin

The phrase "unique pieces in series" seems to be contradictory at first sight. For how can something that only exists once be present several times? But some of Gerhard Richter's editions embody this particular principle of uniqueness in series. In paintings, photographic works, prints, and drawings, Richter has developed the possibility to vary individual copies in their appearance. The entire set of an edition thus consists of unicultural variants whose difference is intended. Probably no other artist has made this design concept into a fundamental method of their art in such a fascinatingly diverse way. Die Formulierung "Unikate in Serie" scheint auf den ersten Blick in sich widersprüchlich zu sein. Denn wie kann etwas, was nur einmal vorhanden sein soll, mehrfach vorliegen? Doch manche von Gerhard Richters Auflagenwerken verkörpern dieses besondere Prinzip der Einzigartigkeit in Serie. In Malerei-Editionen, Foto­arbeiten, Druckgrafiken, Zeichnungen und Multiples hat Richter die Möglichkeit entwickelt, im Rahmen der ­jeweils gleichen Produktionsweise einzelne Exemplare in ihrer Erscheinung zu variieren. Die gesamte Auflage einer Edition besteht somit aus unikatären Varianten, deren Unterschiedlichkeit intendiert ist. Wohl kein an­derer Künstler hat dieses gestalterische Konzept auf so faszinierend vielfältige Weise zu einer grund­sätz­lichen Methode seiner Kunst gemacht.

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Kem Nunn

Heart Attacks is California's last secret spot - the premier mysto surf haunt, the stuff of rumor and legend. The rumors say you must cross Indian land to get there. They tell of hostile locals and shark-infested waters where waves in excess of thirty feet break a mile from shore. For down-and-out photographer Jack Fletcher, the chance to shoot these waves in the company of surfing legend Drew Harmon offers the promise of new beginnings. But Drew is not alone in the northern reaches of the state. His young wife, Kendra, lives there with him. Obsessed with the unsolved murder of a local girl, Kendra has embarked upon a quest of her own, a search for truth - however dark that truth may prove to be. The Dogs of Winter is a portrait of two men and an appealing yet troubled young woman set against an unforgettable background of stark and violent beauty.

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Karen Wilkin

This illustrated monograph explores the career of one of the most original and influential sculptors now working in the modernist tradition. His early work, as part of London's "New Generation," used unexpected materials in sculptures that married form and color in unprecedented ways. They are distinguished by their inventive polychromy and sleek industrial materials (fiberglass, plexiglass, glass, and aluminum tubing along with wood) as well as by their repetitive, curvilinear profiles and bold thrusts into space. Once in the U.S., Witkin continued to explore abstract volume and color in steel. His generously scaled constructions, equally notable for their structural audacity and emotional range, established him as a legitimate heir to the tradition of David Smith. In the early 1980s Witkin shifted to working in bronze, inventing a method of constructing with directly poured elements. This most recent work allows him to combine the sensuality of once-molten metal, the expressiveness of organic forms, the richness of bronze patina, and the immediacy of constructed sculpture. Author Karen Wilkin relates the story of the artist's career to date, discussing the evolution of his work in the context of the modernist tradition as well as the work of Witkin's contemporaries.

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the Art Guys with Todd Oldham

"The Art Guys (Michael Galbreth and Jack Massing) are Houston-based artists who have worked together since 1983. For some years now they have been making art (sculpture, performance, video, and sound) that uses humor as a springboard to address their observations about society. Their new project, Suits, is their most ambitious to date: it uses fashion as a way to explore how art intersects with media, marketing, and commerce. The Art Guys spent one year wearing two suits designed by Todd Oldham, which were embroidered with 62 advertisements from 56 companies who leased ad space on the surface of their suits. The Art Guys traveled from Alaska to Florida, from New York to Los Angeles, shaking hands, exhibiting artwork, golfing, and kissing babies all along the way."--BOOK JACKET.