Eva Hesse : studiowork / Briony Fer.
By: Fer, Briony
.
Contributor(s): Hesse, Eva | Fruit Market Gallery | Camden Arts Centre | Fundació Antoni Tàpies | Art Gallery of Ontario | Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.
Material type: 
BookPublisher: Edinburgh : New Haven : Fruitmarket Gallery ; Distributed by Yale University Press, 2009Description: 239 p. : ill. (chiefly col.) ; 26 cm.ISBN: 9780300134766; 0300134762.Other title: Studiowork | Studio work.Subject(s): Hesse, Eva, 1936-1970 -- Exhibitions | Hesse, Eva, 1936-1970 -- Criticism and interpretation | Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- ExhibitionsDDC classification: 730.92 HES Summary: Hesse produced a number of small, experimental works alongside her large-scale sculpture. These objects-test pieces- were made in a range of materials, including latex, wire-mesh, sculp-metal, fibreglass and cheesecloth. The author argues that these small objects radically put into question conventional notions of what sculpture is. By renaming them studioworks, Fer offers a new interpretation of Hesse's historical position and asserts her relevance for contemporary art. This new study argues that the studiowork forces us to ask fundamental questions,not just about what an artwork is, but about the work that art does in our culture.
| Item type | Current library | Call number | Copy number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Lending | MTU Crawford College of Art and Design Library Lending | 730.92 HES (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | 1 | Checked out | 12/04/2024 | 00194803 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
Throughout her career, Eva Hesse (1936--1970) produced a significant number of small, experimental works alongside her large-scale sculpture. These so-called "test-pieces" were made in a wide range of materials, including latex, wire-mesh, sculp-metal, wax, and cheesecloth. Rather than considering them simply technical explorations, the art historian Briony Fer renames these small objects studiowork and argues that they put in question conventional notions of what sculpture is.
The book contains a comprehensive catalogue of the studiowork, including many new works that have never before been seen in public. Although previously these small objects were considered peripheral to the major sculptures, this fascinating new study argues that they force us to ask fundamental questions, not just about what an artwork is, but about the work that art does in our culture.Published on the occasion of the exhibition organised by The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh in collaboration with Camden Arts Centre, London ; Fundació Antoni Tàpies, Barcelona ; Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto and University of California, Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive.
Includes bibliographical references.
Hesse produced a number of small, experimental works alongside her large-scale sculpture. These objects-test pieces- were made in a range of materials, including latex, wire-mesh, sculp-metal, fibreglass and cheesecloth. The author argues that these small objects radically put into question conventional notions of what sculpture is. By renaming them studioworks, Fer offers a new interpretation of Hesse's historical position and asserts her relevance for contemporary art. This new study argues that the studiowork forces us to ask fundamental questions,not just about what an artwork is, but about the work that art does in our culture.
Reviews provided by Syndetics
Library Journal Review
Eva Hesse was an innovative sculptor, active in the 1960s, whose work has been much collected by museums. Until her untimely death in 1970, Hesse produced sculptures out of such experimental materials as string, paper, metal screen, resin, latex, and cheesecloth. This book presents all of Hesse's known test pieces, which Fer (art history, Univ. Coll., London) describes as small, experimental things that she made as part of her working process but which do not quite amount to being works in their own right. Thinking about these objects, Fer constructs five chapters, each a substantial essay on questions raised by the exhibition of such works, such as their purpose for Hesse, their meaning for museumgoers today, and their place in Hesse's final body of work. Numerous color photographs show the studio works, other Hesse sculptures, and relevant comparison works by other artists. Verdict A meaty and theory-filled book for readers who want to think more deeply about meaning in sculpture and Hesse's work in particular.-Kathryn Wekselman, MLn, Cincinnati (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.CHOICE Review
Artists often explore new techniques and materials on a small scale before venturing into large-scale sculptures. This was no less true for Eva Hesse, the iconic 1960s artist who died an untimely death in 1970. This book is a catalogue for the exhibition of the same name that premiered in Edinburgh, Scotland, with plans to travel to London, Spain, Canada, and finally the UC Berkeley Art Museum, where many of the works are archived. Fer (University College London) argues for the viewer to go beyond accepting these objects as mere technical explorations or small sculptures and, rather, to think of them as "studioworks," the name she assigns them. Fer manages to elevate these often-simple pieces to the level of art and ties them directly to Hesse's larger sculptures convincingly. The argument gets a bit repetitive in the middle of the book, yet overall, the opportunity to see work rarely or never exhibited in such a cohesive manner makes this a definitive book for followers of Hesse. The book is beautiful designed and generously illustrated. A complete list of all the studioworks is included to make this an important record of the artist's life work. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. A. Calluori Holcombe University of FloridaAuthor notes provided by Syndetics
Briony Fer is reader in the history of art at University College, London.(Bowker Author Biography)