On Kawara (Contemporary Artists (Phaidon)) [Paperback]

Jonathan Watkins (Author)

Book Description

Series: Contemporary Artists (Phaidon) | Publication Date: October 18, 2002

Japanese-born, New York-based On Kawara is one of the world's best-known yet most mysterious conceptual artists, an international figure since the 1960s who is still of great interest to a new generation of contemporary art followers. He is a legendary, enigmatic figure; part of his art is to eliminate all traces of himself, save for his art. Thus he is never photographed or interviewed, and he never attends the openings of his exhibitions. Kawara's existence is documented solely through his daily art-making practice. These include thousands of his well-known "Date Paintings" (ongoing since 1965), meticulously painted works which consist simply of the date on which the work is made, boxed with a copy of that day's newspaper; or postcards and telegrams sent to his friends, bearing such messages as "I am still alive", begun in 1969. His many artist's books (among them, One-Million Years [Past, 1970-71, and Future, 1980], ten-volume books which enumerate one by one the past and future one million years, or "I met", a list of all the people he has ever met) attest to the quiet, almost Zen-like dedication of this artist obsessed by repetition and the passage of time. Despite its inherent monotony, Kawara's work offers a surprising variety in its formal presentation: from painting, to installation, to books, to telegrams and postcards. In recent years "Frieze", the up-to-the-minute London magazine dedicated to the very newest international art, took exception to its new-art-only policy and featured this veteran artist on its cover, attesting to Kawara's evergreen interest in the art world, from students to blue-chip collectors. Included in every major conceptual art survey, the Venice Biennale, the Carnegie International and numerous Documentas, Kawara has also presented major solo museum exhibitions at the Centre Pompidou, Paris (1977), the Moderna Museet, Stockholm (and tour, 1980), the DIA Center for the Arts, New York (1993), and Le Nouveau Musee/Institut d'Art Contemporain, Villeurbaine (1995).

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jonathan Watkins (Survey) is Director of the Ikon Gallery, Birmingham. Previously Artistic Director of the 11th Sydney Biennale, when based in London was Curator at the Serpentine Gallery (1995-1997) and Director of Chisenhale Gallery (1990-1995). He was guest curator for the recent exhibition of contemporary Japanese art at the Hayward Gallery, London (Autumn 2001). 'Tribute' (to replace Interview) - An essential part of this Conceptual artist's practice is never to leave any personal traces of his life; therefore, On Kawara has he never given an Interview. To replace the series' Interview section, about thirty key figures from the artist's life, among them fellow conceptualists Lawrence Weiner and Dan Graham, cultural theorist Homi Bhabha, and curator Kasper Koenig, have written short statements on their thoughts and experiences with Kawara, collectively forming an indirect 'portrait of the artist'. Rene Denizot (Focus), is a critic and philosopher who has written particularly on Conceptual art and contemporary sculpture. He has been a friend and follower of On Kawara's work for well over a decade. For his Artist's Choice On Kawara has selected an extract from an obscure, highly specialized scientific study into the nature of consciousness, titled 'Conscious Events as Orchesatrated Space-Time Selections' (1996), by Stuart Hameroff and Roger Penrose. Again, as part of his lifelong practice never to document his own life, On Kawara does not write anything. For the Artist's Writings On Kawara is presenting a series of handwritten love letters, extracted from a standard book on letter-writing etiquette, rendered indecipherable by the artist's use of a mysterious colour-coding which replaces the words.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (October 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714841048
• ISBN-13: 978-0714841045
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,084,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.