Blind Handshake

by David Humphrey

The art criticism ofthe painter David Humphreymerits an anthology. Butneither Humphrey norPeriscope wanted to presenthis writing as archivaldocuments from 1990 to2008. We decided it would bemore innovative to treat thetexts as the starting point fora book that acknowledgesand extends the connectionsbetween Humphrey s studiopractice and his criticism.The outcome is BlindHandshake. It foregrounds thesocial life surrounding contemporaryart the practicesand gestures, the dialoguesand monologues that determineits place in the world.Organized thematically, thebook considers CouplingDramas, UnknowableOthers, Collective Solitudes,Prosthetic Selves, and GoodLiars. Artists drawn intothe action include RichardPrince, Chris Ofili, LucienFreud, Mamma Anderson,Tony Oursler, John Currin,Mary Heilmann, CatherineMurphy, and Amy Sillman.The book s designerGeoff Kaplan employedaspects of graphic novels,magazine layouts, and artmonographs in translatingthe writing and illustrationsinto a mutant creature.Introductions by Chris Krausand Alexi Worth providecontexts for understandingthe book s presentation of theturbulent intersubjectivity thatpervades contemporary art.

Hardcover

Published January 1, 2009