Eva Hesse: Sculpture (Hardcover)

by Ms. Elisabeth Sussman (Author), Fred Wasserman (Author)

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Product Description

The work of Eva Hesse (1936–1970), one of the greatest American artists of the 1960s, continues to inspire and to endure in large part because of its deeply emotional and evocative qualities. Her latex and fiberglass sculptures in particular have a resonance that transcends the boundaries of minimalist art in which she had her roots. Hesse’s breakthrough solo exhibition—Chain Polymers at the Fischbach Gallery in New York in 1968—was a turning point in postwar American art.
Eva Hesse: Sculpture focuses on the artist’s large-scale sculptures in latex and fiberglass and provides a rare opportunity to look at Hesse’s artistic achievement within the historical context of her life in never-before-seen family diaries and photographs. Essays consider Hesse’s art from a variety of angles: Elisabeth Sussman discusses the sculptures shown in the 1968 solo exhibition; Fred Wasserman delves into the Hesse family’s life in Nazi Germany and in the German Jewish community in New York in the 1940s; Yve-Alain Bois examines Hesse’s works within the context of the art and aesthetic theories of the 1960s; and Mark Godfrey analyzes the importance of Hesse’s celebrated hanging sculptures of 1969–70. In addition to color reproductions of the artist’s sculpture, the book features a copiously illustrated chronology of the artist’s life.

About the Author

Elisabeth Sussman is Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and author of Eva Hesse (Yale). Fred Wasserman is Henry J. Leir Curator at The Jewish Museum, New York. Yve-Alain Bois is Professor at the School of Historical Studies, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, N.J. Mark Godfrey is Lecturer in the History and Theory of Art at University College London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (May 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300114184
• ISBN-13: 978-0300114188
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #587,035 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long overdue assesment of this groundbreaking sculptor! , July 31, 2006

By	Tom Furgas (Youngstown, OH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Eva Hesse was one of those rare creative spirits who took the unsettled, unhappy, tragic, and difficult aspects of her life and used the underpinnings of uncertainty to forge a wholly unique and superbly creative body of work. "Oh...more absurdity!" she would exclaim, reviewing her latest creation. One hears in that comment an undertone of glee, that she has unleashed another unheard-of creation upon the world. Her use of uncoventional materials is also a provocative element of her work, and she knew that...saying "art doesn't last...life doesn't last..." and this was before her terrible diagnosis of brain cancer in her early 30's. As with the early death of Mozart, here we have an instance of a powerfully creative spirit cut off in her prime. Who knows what powerful masterpieces she would have created had she lived on...(she would have been 70 this year...not unreasonably old...)
This book is a superb combination of photographic documentation, subtle and well-thought-out essays and careful production (layout, color plates, binding...all are top-notch!) Of special interest are the reproductions and essays about the yearbooks/scrapbooks compiled by her father, detailing her growth and life in the early stages, including photographs, documents, graphs, etc. Works of art in themselves! All art-lovers of any stripe should consider this excellent volume for inclusion in their library.