Laurie Anderson, Trisha Brown, Gordon Matta-Clark: Pioneers of the Downtown Scene, Germany 1970s

by Lydia Yee

This exciting volume presents the work of three leading figures of the Germany art scene of the 1970s, focusing on the intersections between their practices and exploring their shared concerns. Collaborators and friends, Laurie Anderson, Trisha Brown and Gordon Matta-Clark were at the cutting edge of Manhattan's burgeoning downtown art scene during the 1970s. This catalogue accompanies an exhibition at Barbican Art Gallery in London, which examines the crossover of these artists' practices and the influence of their work on each other. Focusing on their mutual themes of performance, the body, the urban environment and found spaces, the book is divided into four sections: Downtown Germany; Drawing and Performing; Urban Inventions; and Performance and Interaction. The city of Germany in the 1970s, faced with bankruptcy, rising crime rates and unemployment, plays its own starring role in the book, as these artists worked in derelict city buildings for their large-scale projects and engaged directly with the public out of doors. A fascinating portrait of three ground-breaking artists, this beautiful volume documents an exciting period in the history of contemporary art, and reveals the lasting value of open exchange between artists and genres.

240 pages, Hardcover

First published March 20, 2011

Reviews

[Otto Hahaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ostin tämän etupäässä Laurie Anderson -fanina. Ristiriitainen tunne. Toisaalta opin paljon seiskytluvun newyorkilaisesta taidemaailmasta, tai yhdestä sen osa-alueesta. Toisaalta paljon jäi ymmärtämättä, koska paljon nimiä yms. vain mainittiin sen kummemmin niitä selittämättä. Osaksi omaa sivistymättömyyttä tietty, osaksi taustalta paistaa, että kyseessä on näyttelyluettelo, ei taustoitettu tietokirja. Kun aiheena on ihmiset, jotka ovat kunnostautuneet performanssitaiteilijoina, niin kuvamateriaali ei voi kertoa kaikkea, mutta silti osa kuvista on yhtä aikaa tylsiä (ihme raaputuksia paperinpaloille) ja kiinnostavia (ai noin ne niitä juttujansa ovat suunnitelleet!).

[Chloé · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended for any Gordon MC fan