When this book first appeared in 1982, it introduced readers to Robert Irwin, the Los Angeles artist "who one day got hooked on his own curiosity and decided to live it." Now expanded to include six additional chapters and twenty-four pages of color plates, Seeing Is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees chronicles three decades of conversation between Lawrence Weschler and light and space master Irwin. It surveys many of Irwin's site-conditioned projects--in particular the Central Gardens at the Getty Museum (the subject of an epic battle with the site's principal architect, Richard Meier) and the design that transformed an abandoned Hudson Valley factory into Dia's new Beacon campus--enhancing what many had already considered the best book ever on an artist.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"A magnetic (now expanded) biography."--San Diego Union-Tribune
"Seeing is Forgetting may not be just the best biography of an artist out there but also one of the best books on contemporary art-making."--Frieze
"'Seeing Is Forgetting' and 'True to Life' are not only about the artists talking to Weschler or, through him, to each other; they're about the artists talking to themselves."--Los Angeles Times Book Review
"Seeing is Forgetting may not be just the best biography of an artist out there but also one of the best books on contemporary art-making."--Frieze
"'Seeing Is Forgetting' and 'True to Life' are not only about the artists talking to Weschler or, through him, to each other; they're about the artists talking to themselves."--Los Angeles Times Book Review
From the Inside Flap
"Robert Irwin, perhaps the most influential of the California artists, moved from his beginnings in abstract expressionism through successive shifts in style and sensibility, into a new aesthetic territory altogether, one where philosophical concepts of perception and the world interact. Weschler has charted the journey with exceptional clarity and cogency. He has also, in the process, provided what seems to me the best running history of postwar West Coast art that I have yet seen."--Calvin Tomkins
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By Michael
Format:Paperback
This book is an extremely well written and understandable account of the life and work of one of the greatest artist of our time. "Seeing is Forgetting" brings with it an understanding of the processes and theory involved in creating art that is entirely your own. This book includes Art history in the making and should not be missed.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Gary Seelig
Format:Paperback
I first read this book in 1983 and now again in December 2010 - and it stands as the best artist biography I have ever read. Irwin begins with customizing cars in the 1940s and proceeds seamlessly through realism, abstraction, minimalism, and on to the Getty Gardens and Dia Beacon - but really the book is not about "isms" - it is about presence and perception - a life altering read.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Mel Pal
Format:Paperback
I plan to expand this review later, but I just wanted to say that this book has improved the way I use my visual perception. We receive so much information from all of our senses that it is difficult to give the attention required to maximize the value of our experiences. This book encouraged me to be more attentive to and perceptive of what I see as Peter Stankovich has helped me to be more attentive to what I hear. Peter's book is about one on one conversations while this is about viewing inanimate objects, but they are both about being involved in the present with the experience. Both books help you enrich your life as it occurs.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic
A great read, really giving good insight into the life, work, and thought of a contemporary artist. good good good
Published 4 months ago by Clay Crosby
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic book
A truly fantastic book. Wonderful insights into a truly creative thinker. An inspiration to all artists and a must read.
Published 5 months ago by J. L. Garnier
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really Fantastic
I've read on ton of books of art history and theory, and this one stands out as one of the best.
Through thirty years of friendship and discussions, Weschler traces Bob... Read more
Through thirty years of friendship and discussions, Weschler traces Bob... Read more
Published 12 months ago by MonsoonKing
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Book
I have been working as an artist for about 5 or 6 years. Now, pursuing my Masters degree and therefore in some kind of professional hiatus, I have stumbled upon the fact of how... Read more
Published 17 months ago by M. S. Edwards
4.0 out of 5 stars
Robert Irwin Rocks!
I personally loved reading the thoughts and expressions of Robert Irwin. He is one of my favorite and most inspiring artists. Read more
Published on December 10, 2010 by K. Schollard-sincock
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