What do you think?
Rate this book
Mary Miss
As sculptor, draughtsman, photographer, and environmental artist, Mary Miss straddles the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, and installation art. Her work moves from the urban bustle of New York, to the vast plains of the American Midwest, to the remote forests of Finland, and has been acclaimed worldwide for its poetry and power. Designed in association with the artist, this exquisitely produced monograph, a comprehensive overview of Miss's work, features thirty-five color images and over 150 duotone photographs of her projects accompanied by copious drawings by the artist. Architectural historian Daniel Abramson-who has been granted unparalleled access to the artist and her archives-addresses each of her projects in detail. An introduction by the well-known art critic Eleanor Heartney situates Miss in the context of contemporary movements in art. Architecture critic Joseph Giovannini places her work within contemporary design practice. Together, the text and images of Mary Miss provide a remarkable look at the work of this groundbreaking public artist.
249 pages, Hardcover
First published January 13, 2004
6 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 9, 2013
Some of Miss's work reminds me of Small Buildings. In fact, when I looked at the preview and noticed the similarities regarding material choices, I decided to read this book.
As the description implies, Miss's work cannot be placed within one discipline. Is it architecture, landscape architecture, sculpture, etc? Clearly, noting the development of her work through time, it began primarily as sculpture and evolved into this hard to define type of output based on Miss's desire to involve the user of her work (versus the viewer), regardless of that user's knowledge of art.
There are many aspects of Miss's work that are notable, but I'll only consider a few here. What reminds me of Cadwell's work is the use of untreated, run-of-the-mill lumber and other common materials. This is used to establish a connection with users who may be unfamiliar with art. She builds on this approach by studying the history of each site and incorporating it into the work, as well as incorporating visual traits from the surroundings. Miss's best work often involves boundaries between water and land, between safe and unsafe, and between remembrance and moving forward.
All projects are depicted with duotone images, except 14th Street Union Square Subway Station, which is illustrated using color images (made necessary by the prominent use of red). All projects; except for the very early, small-scale work; are also explained with drawings and descriptions. Three essays explain the development, meaning, and influence of Miss's work. A piece written by Miss herself explains her point of view.
As the description implies, Miss's work cannot be placed within one discipline. Is it architecture, landscape architecture, sculpture, etc? Clearly, noting the development of her work through time, it began primarily as sculpture and evolved into this hard to define type of output based on Miss's desire to involve the user of her work (versus the viewer), regardless of that user's knowledge of art.
There are many aspects of Miss's work that are notable, but I'll only consider a few here. What reminds me of Cadwell's work is the use of untreated, run-of-the-mill lumber and other common materials. This is used to establish a connection with users who may be unfamiliar with art. She builds on this approach by studying the history of each site and incorporating it into the work, as well as incorporating visual traits from the surroundings. Miss's best work often involves boundaries between water and land, between safe and unsafe, and between remembrance and moving forward.
All projects are depicted with duotone images, except 14th Street Union Square Subway Station, which is illustrated using color images (made necessary by the prominent use of red). All projects; except for the very early, small-scale work; are also explained with drawings and descriptions. Three essays explain the development, meaning, and influence of Miss's work. A piece written by Miss herself explains her point of view.
Displaying 1 of 1 review