Lee Bontecou: A Retrospective

by Elizabeth Smith, Robert Storr

One of the leading female artists of the late 20th century, Lee Bontecou (b. 1931) became widely known for her welded steel sculptures and plastic and epoxy molded assemblages from the 1960s and 1970s. Her powerful and original constructions, which were both critically acclaimed and actively collected, evoked natural phenomena and organic biological life even as they grew more abstract. This monograph-the first extensive analysis of her art-presents some 50 sculptures and more than 100 drawings, including her celebrated early works as well as later pieces that are little known and have never been publicly exhibited or published. Along with four original essays, this volume also includes a reprint of Donald Judd's influential 1965 Arts Magazine article on Bontecou. At last, through this major survey of her work-which accompanies an exhibition organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, and ULCA Hammer Museum-we are able to reevaluate the career of an artist who has become legendary in the art world because of the impact of her striking early work and the enormous influence she continues to have on younger artists.

Genres: Art, Art History, Visual Art, Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saw this exhibition at the Hammer in LA and haven't been the same since. I had never heard of Lee Bontecou, but I know I'm better for having found out who she is/was. Unhindered vision!

[Syreeta McFadden · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was a little obsessed after an intriguing new yorker profile on this artist. her work is like a post modern industrial, post civilization, yet beginning of civilization hybrid of living organism. it could be the beginning and ending of time just looking at her choices of matter, media, material in each piece. if that makes any sense?

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An iconoclastic mixed media artist, Bontecou has been faithful to her vision for decades resulting in a singular ouevre that is really incomparable. Great images in this book that do justice to the breadth of her work, inspirational.

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book full of beautiful art from one of the most under-recognized artists of the 20th c. Bontecou's work is both entrancing and horrifying.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeing this exhibition changed my life.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing!

[Mills College Library]

709.2 B722s 2003