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The Art of Rachel Whiteread

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Rachel Whiteread is one of the most important, and somewhat controversial, artists of the last 20 years with her sculptures based upon the negative space of an object, such as the underside of a chair or the back of an entire bookshelf full of books allowing the viewer to see each individual page cast in relief. This book is comprised of ten different essays, placing Whiteread's works not only in the context of art history, but its relationship to the world around it. For example, one essay focuses on one of Whiteread's most well known works, House, and the controversy surrounding it and the reaction of the world to it. Where this book may falter a bit is that each essay is written by someone who is obviously a fan of Whiteread's works and thus there is no dissenting opinion of her place in history. In many cases the writers are overly glowing of Whiteread's works. While it isn't necessary to have a different opinion piece, it would be helpful in placing her work in better context. Overall though the book does offer important context to Whiteread's works and its place in history.