2012 PAUL THEK + Luc Tuymans "Why?!" BERLIN GERMAN / ENGLISH Mike Kelley NF w DJ

Description: Paul Thek & Luc Tuymans: WHY?! Paul ThekLuc Tuymans Description: Berlin: Distanz Verlag for Galerie Isabella Czarnowska, 2012; First Edition, original exhibition catalogue, bound in stiff printed paper covers and wrapped in a stiff illustrated paper dust jacket. Texts in both German and English. Illustrations in color. Published on the occasion of the exhibition held from April 27-July 28, 2012. In this book, Luc Tuymans, the collector Harald Falckenberg, and the curator and author Julian Heynen discuss Tuymans's relationship with Thek and the role of Mike Kelley, who was instrumental in reviving critical interest in Thek's work." "The American sculptor and painter Paul Thek (1933-1988) created objects that made him a legend. In the mid-1960s, he first exhibited his ""Meat Pieces,"" relics made of wax and latex and enclosed in plexiglass boxes that were meant to recall human flesh. He also created extraordinary environments out of movable pieces from art, literature, theater, and religion. By using fragile and perishable materials, Thek emphasized the ephemeral quality of his work and hence his own-and everyone else's-mortality." Tuymans curated the show ""Paul Thek Luc Tuymans: WHY?!"" at Galerie Isabella Czarnowska, Berlin, which united his own works with representative pieces he cherishes. Despite the considerable differences separating the two artists, the show hinted at close affinities between them that go far beyond superficial similarities. Condition: Near Fine book with a hint of wear in a Very Good Dust Jacket with slight bumping to edges and a bookseller's barcode to back cover; clearly well protected by a concerned collector. Additional Information: Paul Thek (1933-1988) was an American painter and, later, sculptor and installation artist. Born in Brooklyn, he studied locally, at the Art Students League and Pratt Institute. In 1951 he entered Cooper Union. His New York artistic circle of friends included photographer Peter Hujar, as well as Joseph Raffaele, artist Eva Hesse and Ann Wilson, in addition to Gene Swenson and Susan Sontag. On August 10, 1988, Thek, weakened by HIV/AIDS, died of illness. Susan Sontag dedicated her classic and influential 1966 collection of critical essays, Against Interpretation, which took up with the latest developments in European critical thought—notably that of Roland Barthes—and her later AIDS and its Metaphors to Thek's memory. Although Thek began as a painter, he became known later in life for his sculptures and installations. Notable works include Technological Reliquaries (1964–67), a series of wax sculptures of human body parts presented on pedestals in glass or acrylic cases, and The Tomb (1967), a bright pink ziggurat installation. The pink ziggurat had a ramp that led to an effigy of the artist inside with a casted replica of Thek's body. Thek realized an alter ego in this piece which began his interest as a performance artist. Unfortunately The Tomb was badly damaged in 1981, however the piece was documented in Edwin Klein's black and white photographs. Credited with a key role in the revival of painting in the 1990s, Belgian artist Luc Tuymans (b. 1958) continues to produce subtle, and at times unsettling, works that engage with history, technology, and everyday life. He paints sparingly colored representational pictures based on preexisting photographic and video imagery. Showing objects and people that seem entirely innocuous at first glance, his paintings abstract from reality, often with somber overtones. This medium has allowed Tuymans to explore sensitive issues such as the Holocaust and 9/11. For over twenty-five years, Galerie Isabella Czarnowska has played an important role in introducing exceptional contemporary artists to the Western European public. In the early days of the gallery, which was founded as Galerie Isabella Kacprzak in Stuttgart in 1986 and relocated to Cologne in 1989, comprehensive monographic exhibitions featured American artists virtually unknown in Europe at the time: Allan McCollum, Louise Lawler and Richard Prince were among those presented here at an early stage in their careers. Cavemodern was founded in 2005 as a home for important "modern" books and works on paper. "Cave" meant a home for both the tangible touch of beautiful objects and a cozy virtual den for armchair exploration. "Modern" starts with the art and literature that went beyond realistic depictions to expressive use of color, non-traditional materials, and new techniques and mediums. Our focus has evolved to be on important pieces by cultural innovators that take their work in new, unexpected, and modern directions.

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Location: Palm Springs, California

End Time: 2025-01-02T16:51:31.000Z

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