Richard Serra: Sculpture 1985-1998
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,History & Criticism
Richard Serra: Sculpture 1985-1998 Details
Amazon.com Review In 1996, internationally distinguished sculptor Richard Serra achieved an unparalleled technical and conceptual feat: the creation of forms never before seen in either art or architecture. "They are vessels that you walk into," said Serra of his 13-foot-high bent steel works, called Torqued Ellipses. Imagine standing within an oval-shaped space on the ground with high, curved walls simultaneously rising and seemingly rotating around you. From inside the Ellipses it seems that the walls continuously lean in or out in either direction, creating an unfamiliar and disorienting experience. The pieces were installed at the Geffen Contemporary at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, during the fall and winter of 1998-99. Richard Serra: Sculpture 1985-1998 is the comprehensive catalog to that show; it also documents more than a decade of Serra's output. A complement to the physical and visual weight of Serra's austere and massive steel sculptures, this handsome hardcover is printed on 240 pages of heavy gloss stock, amply illustrated with 271 plates. It includes strikingly composed black-and-white photographs and a number of insightful sketches and diagrams that should help even readers who haven't seen the pieces firsthand envisage their force. In his introductory essay titled "The Un/Making of Sculpture," prominent art critic Hal Foster offers a series of notes inspired by Serra's 1976 response to the question "What does making sculpture mean to you right now?" Foster discusses Serra's engagement with historical precedents in art and architecture, his use of steel and the language of industrial production, and the dynamic he creates between his sculptures, their specific sites, and their viewers. Many of the plates are accompanied by Serra's own comments, which, in addition to a lengthy interview with David Sylvester, further elucidate his process and key concerns, making the depth and breadth of his work accessible to even first-time viewers. These informative texts, as well as an exhibition chronology and selected bibliography, make this book a standout. --A.C. Smith Read more From Library Journal Since most of Richard Serra's multi-ton steel sculptures are permanently sited in spots as far-flung as Iceland, Luxembourg, and numerous American states, it is far easier to visit them by journeying through this elegant catalog. More than 70 of his large sculptures or sculptural groupings are illustrated by lustrous black-and-white photographs, both of the final installations and, dramatically, of the heavy industrial processes needed to fabricate locomotive-sized sheets of curved steel. A 19-page interview with the sculptor and his short notes on each sculpture are helpful in understanding his train of thought, but the pompous introductory essay by Hal Foster is best left unread. The primary value of this catalog is the visual record of the sculpture Serra has completed since his major retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1986. An extensive list of exhibitions and a short bibliography will be helpful to researchers. Recommended for most collections.ADavid McClelland, Philadelphia Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. Read more
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