Raw Notes: Documents and Scripts of the Performances: Stars, Moveyhouse, Massage, the Typewriter

by Claes Oldenburg

A giant spoon with an enormous red cherry snaking out of the earth, a humongous badminton birdie, an oversized piece of cake, squishy scupltures--these are some of the works for which Claes Oldenburg, the artist who helped redefine sculpture in the 1960s, is best known. However, because they have been less documented, Oldenburg's happenings and performances have not been fully integrated into the critical discourse surrounding his work. Raw Notes , originally published in 1973, collects all of the material relating to his performances. According to his specifications, the text in the book is typed rather then set, and appears on only one side of the page. Examples of the original manuscript are reproduced in 63 script plates. These include stage plans, scores, sketches for programs, and posters. More than 200 annotations by the author expand the text. Raw Notes is indispensable as a document of the important aspects of Oldenburg's work.

Genres: Art

544 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2005

Reviews

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty amazing book. I'd put it in the uniquely useful section of my library.
I bought this book at an art fair in New York. I was writing a paper on the "Happenings: New York, 1958–1963," on view at the Pace gallery at the time. Although this book is slightly after that time period I was studying, it really helped focus my attention to the details. To the handwriting, to the thought process, to the actions and inactions of the artist.The changes and notes, the margins, and errors. It's not a book as much as it is a running list of thoughts. A great way for me, as a reader, to see inside the artist thought process. I'd recommend it to any fan.