Felix Gonzalez-Torres by Miwon Kwon

by Julie Ault

Felix Gonzalez-Torres, one of the most influential artists of his generation, lived and worked resolutely according to his own idealistic principles, determined to "make this a better place for everyone." He combined elements of Conceptual art, Minimalism, political activism, and poetic beauty in an ever-expanding arsenal of media, including public billboards, give-away piles of candy and posters, and ordinary objects--clocks, mirrors, light fixtures--used to startling effect. His work challenged the notions of public and private space, originality, authorship and--most significantly--the authoritative structures in which he and his viewers functioned. Editor Julie Ault has amassed the first comprehensive monograph to span Gonzalez-Torres's career. In the spirit of his method, she rethinks the very idea of what a monograph should be. The book, which places strong emphasis on the written word, contains newly commissioned texts by Robert Storr and Miwon Kwon among other notables, as well as significant critical essays, exhibition statements, transcripts from lectures, personal correspondence, and writings that influenced Gonzalez-Torres and his work. Ample visual documentation adds another important layer of content. We see works not just in their completed state, but often in process, which for Gonzalez-Torres could mean the process of disappearing as viewers interacted with them. A crucial reference.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History, LGBT

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[oskar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Balanced, beautiful and powerful collection of texts and images concerning the artist I have now come to love the most.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book even if you are not familiar with the artist. He was among the many artists in the 1980s and 90s whose work protested the right-wing shift in American politics and the lean towards intellectual laziness by Americans at the time. He was openly gay and much of his work addressed the AIDS crisis. He hoped to reach a wide audience, not just academia, by making his work an experience of some kind, whether visual or interactive. The book also includes academic texts that are vital to his work, or, I'd say, are just vital, period. These include authors such as Brecht, Rilke, Barthes, Duras, Sontag.

The book's editor was a friend, and there is a very loving feel to the book, the need (in grief and loss) to get it right. The artist died in 1996 from AIDS and he had already lost his lover, which he processed in his art which attempted to activate empathy for the communities and individuals who were being ravaged by this disease. This book was given to me by a friend a month after I lost my husband to cancer, another disease characterized by wasting, and it helped me conceptualize both the trauma that I needed to overcome, how I wanted to proceed with the memorial/celebration of life, and how I wanted to actually celebrate his life through art and design.

[Fernanda Armada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me lo recomendó un artista invitado en Virreina y me encontré el libro en la biblioteca de la PGC, es uno de los mejores libros de arte que he leído, Felix Gonzalez Torres tienes mi corazón. Hice una cantidad enorme de notas y cuando iba a la mitad del libro perdí la libreta así que lo empecé de nuevo y por fin tengo las notas, por eso me tomó tanto tiempo acabarlo

[Priyanshu Thakur · Rating 5 out of 5]

i feel lucky to own this book

[Jenae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upon flipping through the pages when I first got this book and just looking at the pictures, I didn't get it, but I really love this artist.

[Roderick Vesper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down, one of the best collections of critical writings on any artist.

[Mark B.]

I can't wait to read Nancy Spector's views into the world of this fascinating and influential artst. He's been a favorite of mine for years.

[Terence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent text, great documentation.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extensive and very beautiful retrospective of one of the best artists of all time.

[Joe Fusaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carrie Mae Weems recommended this one. It didn’t disappoint. Nancy Spector does a beautiful and eloquent job of walking us through the major themes and thinking behind the artist’s work.