Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
305th out of 632 books
—
321 voters
Seeing Is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees: A Life of Contemporary Artist Robert Irwin
"Robert Irwin, perhaps the most influential of the California artists, moved from his beginnings in abstract expressionism through successive shifts in style and sensibility, into a new aesthetic territory altogether, one where philosophical concepts of perception and the world interact. Weschler has charted the journey with exceptional clarity and cogency. He has also, in...more
Paperback, 215 pages
Published
December 27th 1982
by University of California Press
(first published March 10th 1982)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,027)
Completely fascinating. It's a biography of Robert Irwin, a contemporary artist, and one whose rather minimal works (a canvas with two lines! an apparently empty room!) I'd previously have been inclined to dismiss unthinkingly. Irwin is a thoroughly amazing character, and Weschler subtly but expertly brings him out, largely through Irwin's own words. What feels to me like the core of the book -- and, if the biography is as honest as it feels, the artist -- is the dynamic between certainty, dedic...more
Probably the best book about an artist you'll ever read (assuming you ever do read one).
Weschler does what any/every greater writer should do. That is, to coax the reader to invest (and perhaps even "care" about) a subject heretofore (yes, I just used heretofore in a sentence --- correctly?) thought/felt to be uninteresting.
If you're not reading Weschler, you're just not reading.*
*With god (intentional lower case) on my side (thanks Zimmerman) I'll be able to take a graduate course with Mr. Wes...more
Weschler does what any/every greater writer should do. That is, to coax the reader to invest (and perhaps even "care" about) a subject heretofore (yes, I just used heretofore in a sentence --- correctly?) thought/felt to be uninteresting.
If you're not reading Weschler, you're just not reading.*
*With god (intentional lower case) on my side (thanks Zimmerman) I'll be able to take a graduate course with Mr. Wes...more
An amazing portrait of Robert Irwin, a modern artist who I wasn't aware of until I began this book.
The title of this book captivated me when I came across it via a random link somewhere on the net. I found as I dug in that many of the themes Irwin deals with are the same I love to ponder: the abstract vs the concrete. The role of perception and thought in how one experiences the world. Spirituality and mysticism, and of course zen and buddhism. A fascinating book, and I _really_ want to find so...more
The title of this book captivated me when I came across it via a random link somewhere on the net. I found as I dug in that many of the themes Irwin deals with are the same I love to ponder: the abstract vs the concrete. The role of perception and thought in how one experiences the world. Spirituality and mysticism, and of course zen and buddhism. A fascinating book, and I _really_ want to find so...more
This was a difficult book to read becausse of my separate reaction to Robert Irwin as a person and a thinker. Before reading 20 pages, I had the opinion that Irwin is a self-involved prat.
But, his ideas about art and experience dovetail nicely with my recent meditations. Due to my recent introduction to traditional African art (where the question whether what is displayed in museums is art divorced as it is from its performance context--especially in regards to the masks), I've been examining w...more
But, his ideas about art and experience dovetail nicely with my recent meditations. Due to my recent introduction to traditional African art (where the question whether what is displayed in museums is art divorced as it is from its performance context--especially in regards to the masks), I've been examining w...more
Jun 30, 2007
Gina
added it
Recommends it for:
people who are interested in west coast conceptual art in the 50s
Shelves:
stoppedinthemiddle
I'm reading this A: Because I looooooved Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonders and B: Because I most often find myself writing about art and artists, and always want the writing to stand on its own, as just that: writing. The reviews of this book give it real merit as a great story brilliantly told, period. So I'm excited to really get into it. I just got my hands on it, and then some new shelves arrived, so the book is currently lost in my "to reshelve" piles. Drat.
OK, I tried. I really did. But this...more
OK, I tried. I really did. But this...more
view all 4 comments
Elegant and important and infinitely readable, another triumph in the list of Weschler artist bio/history/criticism set. A delightful (and short!) piece that lets you know 1) Who Robert Irwin is 2) What he is(was) up to and 3) What is so great about Robert Irwin. The only imperfection is that Irwin's pieces are basically unphotographable, so the pictures don't really help. Worth it for the discussion on the life cycle of Coke machines. Extra points for beautiful title and cover.
Was a life-changing event when I picked this book up. Irwin is a reason I still paint and observe. You will be affected by this book in one way or another, but in my way I found joy in not just the making and painting, but thinking about what I was making and painting. If you've never seen an Irwin in person, especially one of the light and shadow works go to Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art I know there is one there right now. I read this before I had seen a piece and it made it that much more o...more
By looking at how Robert Irwin makes his art, Lawrence Weschler has written a brilliant book about how we perceive the world. Wescheler lights this book with a lot of California sunshine and ease, which gives Irwin’s lengthy theories room. He has paced this book superbly. Seeing is Forgetting… should be on any top ten list of books about 20th Century art.
Jan 27, 2010
Kit
added it
This is my first foray into books about modern art and artists. It's fascinating, much more interesting than I expected. I'm reading it at the suggestion of one of the artists I shared time with at Ragdale last spring. Lots of ideas about perception and conception and forging ahead with the things you care about no matter what.
Robert Irwin is my favorite West Coast modernist (some might say minimalist). His quest for purity of expression is uncompromising. Weschler captures what it meant to do what he did when and where he did it. This is a book about an artist with a singular focus and is all about PROCESS. I loved this book.
This is a great book. Irwin's line of inquiry from swing-dancing and working on cars as a kid through painting to installation and public 'sculpture' in his later life evidences a curious mind more interested in questions than answers.
Get the more recent publication with more recent conversations.
I'd like to read the companion to this book, which is a collection of conversations Weschler had with David Hockney that parallel and dispute some of the ideas presented by Irwin on the trajectory of t...more
Get the more recent publication with more recent conversations.
I'd like to read the companion to this book, which is a collection of conversations Weschler had with David Hockney that parallel and dispute some of the ideas presented by Irwin on the trajectory of t...more
a true look into the life and thoughts of an unsung hero of the art world. Irwin is one whose work and thinking are one; he blurs the line of 'art' and its making to the point where the life lived is equivalent to what has been made. His story is endlessly valuable, and Weschler has captured it.
Just awesome. Robert Irwin is an amazing artist, and to be able to read these short interviews with him really allows you to better understand his art, and your own. There is a new version coming out that has been updated. I'll review that when I get it.
I liked how clearly it outlines the intellectual evolution of an artist. I can't think of a book that better describes the process of artistic exploration, how solitary and how absurd it is. That is the main focus and it is successful in that regard. I have a limited tolerance for Irwin's type of art and this type of grad school discussions. Can't help but be impressed by Irwin's example though.
The most important book I've read since beginning grad school. A personal and insightful look at the work, themes and process of LA Light and Space artist Robert Irwin. A must read for visual artists.
I was expecting to have my mind blown, but I think that's where Irwin's work comes in. This tight biography is a great read, and there were some amazing passages I found myself copying into my sketchbook.
what i enjoyed about this books was that instead of it reading as just another biography it reads more as a documentation of the artist as an interview as oppose to anything else......you learn not just about him and his thought process but the little silly things that somehow actually matter even though usually they are kept out....it brings up interesting ideas...its funny and serious i recommend it to anyone...as a book that is written about an artist...reading things like this articles and s...more
Highly recommended. If you do any kind of creative work, this book is essential - it will reshuffle everything in your head about the how & why of what you do.
So there I am, sitting in my undergrad studio. I've got Ad Reinhardt, Franz Kline, Pierrre Soulages, etc surrounding me..struggling to paint my white canvas white in a way that resonates, vibrates. Why am I reading about a guy who stared at two lines on a canvas for two years two and a half years later!! If I read this then...
I believe things happen for a reason...you come to the things you need when you're ready, or when the universe is ready to give you a break or whatever...but what an impact...more
I believe things happen for a reason...you come to the things you need when you're ready, or when the universe is ready to give you a break or whatever...but what an impact...more
I read this years ago, but it still holds true for me. This is a great book about the definition of art and how it makes us feel.
I am astounded over and over at the simplicity with which Irwin expounds upon what has been a life-time of the deepest, richest and most engaged exploration of his practice. He plumbs the depths of his investigation with a sweetly humane approach. Unrelentingly devoted to the question, and then the next question. Not willing that anything should be precious or become precious. Fetishistic and detached at the same time. An artist that has not shown much of what he has made because the act of maki...more
Do yourself a favor and pick this book up. It's an inspiring work that has the rare ability to incite the reader in to action.
This is a great and all-encompassing primer on Irwin's work written through interviews conducted between Weschler and the artist over a 20-year period and is considered a must-read for young artists. Read this book and then go to the LA Moca to see Irwin's early line painting, pieces from his dots phase, and his early disc work. When you're done with that, drive up to the Getty to walk in the garden that the museum commissioned of the artist. The book traces Irwin's growth as an artist and chang...more
Dec 02, 2007
J. Mark
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
all artists
Shelves:
biography-autobiography
I had been in love with Robert Irwin's light and form experiments long before I knew what his name was. I had seen them in SF's MOMA and at the Norton Simon and the LACMA. A friend gave me this book because he thought I and Irwin thought along similar patterns. It's an undeserved flattery, but I LOVED this book from beginning to end. Allows the reader to not only get a revealing look at one of the great minds of latter-20th-century art, but a look into the movements (by his own admission or not)...more
Amazing artist (and a mind to match); sadly, Weschler's writing isn't quite as inspiring.
The definitive book about one of the major artists of our time.
A stunning and beautiful book about the life and art of Robert Irwin.
read this in grad school. very influential on me at the time.
beautifully written narrative of Irwin's artistic journey.
The newest edition has more chapters!
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
