Art objects are inanimate sad bits of matter hanging in the dark when no one is looking. The artist only does half of the work; the viewer has to come up with the rest, and it is by empowering the viewer that the miracle of art gains its force. --Vik Muniz An American artist of Brazilian origin, Vik Muniz stands out as one of the most articulate and innovative artists of his generation, equally at home working with images of chocolate sauce, spaghetti marinara, or the detritus of hole punchers. In doing so, he has carved out a unique niche within contemporary photography: one of trickster and philosopher as well as the creator of compelling, delightful images. Reflex: A Vik Muniz Primer is a privileged, guided tour of the contents of Muniz's pyrotechnic imagination, walking us through each of his major series. From Equivalents, his fluffy, sculpted cotton "clouds," to his latest color work, Magazines, Muniz accompanies each series with in-depth writing that tickles our minds with amusing anecdotes detailing his inspiration for each; fascinates by revealing his methodology and working process; and enlightens by unveiling the thinking and historical influences behind each image.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Muniz's cockeyed account of his life and art, when it doesn't sidetrack into irritating displays of the artist's egotism, shines with an inventive charm. Chronicling his rise from poor Brazilian immigrant to highly successful New York artist, the volume is beautifully designed, with the pleasing heft of a high school textbook, and packed with illustrations. Since the early 1990s, Muniz has created densely referential photographs of his own drawings and collages. These generally involve some kind of conceptual trickiness about representations of representations;a copy of a Cézanne still life, for example, composed of tiny circles punched out of magazines, or a recreation in chocolate syrup of a famous photograph of Jackson Pollack. The book is also a mini-museum of the wide-ranging obsessions that fuel Muniz's work, with images drawn from art and science and quirky sidebar quotations from the likes of Emily Dickinson, Henry David Thoreau and, yes, Vik Muniz. But the goofy appeal of Muniz's work makes it worth enduring his displays of self-regard. Who could resist his sublimely silly notion of skywriting a childlike drawing of a cloud? Despite all the distracting excesses of Muniz the writer, this volume is a graphically sumptuous;and appropriately whimsical;showcase for Muniz the artist. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"Vik Muniz never ceases to amaze. A man of many talents--he merges painting, drawing and photography into his creations--he has now given readers an overview of his career. He sculpts clouds, draws in chocolate, constructs new and historic images out of thousands of yards of thread and then photographs them all." -- Anthony LaSala --Photo District News
"The most Borgesian of contemporary artists turns out to be a splendidly Borgesian writer himself, and Reflex, his generous, Cheshire cat of a primer, is as profound as it is playful." --The Village Voice
"Reflex is a superb combination of artist book, art book, aw-shucks memoir and retrospective monograph. For anyone looking for access to the mind of a wildly creative contemporary artist (and a profusely illustrated guide for the perplexed once they arrive in that ticket), this book is just the ticket." --Photo-Eye Booklist
"With Muniz as your guide in life, you know you'll never be bored." --Photograph Magazine
"Chocolate sauce and syrup are among the more delectable materials Brazilian artist Vik Muniz has used to re-invent some of art history's most iconic images. Trickster and philosopher, artist and writer, he reveals the hoops he goes through to create his photographs." -- Rebecca Wilson --ArtReview
"The most Borgesian of contemporary artists turns out to be a splendidly Borgesian writer himself, and Reflex, his generous, Cheshire cat of a primer, is as profound as it is playful." --The Village Voice
"Reflex is a superb combination of artist book, art book, aw-shucks memoir and retrospective monograph. For anyone looking for access to the mind of a wildly creative contemporary artist (and a profusely illustrated guide for the perplexed once they arrive in that ticket), this book is just the ticket." --Photo-Eye Booklist
"With Muniz as your guide in life, you know you'll never be bored." --Photograph Magazine
"Chocolate sauce and syrup are among the more delectable materials Brazilian artist Vik Muniz has used to re-invent some of art history's most iconic images. Trickster and philosopher, artist and writer, he reveals the hoops he goes through to create his photographs." -- Rebecca Wilson --ArtReview
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great writer as well,
By
This review is from: Vik Muniz: Reflex (Hardcover)
I agree with "mdr" that the book only scratches the surface and presents just couple of works of most of artists series. I have to admit, I am not that super much into his art. But the writings are the most interesting part of the book. Mr.Muniz is very good at writing of his process of making art. It's interesting to get into artist's mind.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I like the chocolate cover,
By mdr "mdr" (4points) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Vik Muniz: Reflex (Hardcover)
Overall, this is great retrospective book of Vik Muniz. Several comprehensive essays and interviews. I would have wished if his early works, chocolate works, and the dust series (whitney show) have been more presented as they are critical for Vik Muniz's career. However, amongst the several Muniz books, this is probably the best one (but could be better in the future).
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
it is a book for those who wish to understand the stories and ideas behind the photographs,
By Karim (Colombia, South America) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Vik Muniz: Reflex (Hardcover)
i LOVE mr Muniz's work. always have and for a long time i have wanted to have a book with his images but this books has too few of them. this is a book not for seeing but for reading, for understanding what's behind his pictures, series by series. if you know his work you will love this book, he writes in a beautiful, fluid manner and his references to everything, from science to toys make this book a wonderful journey. but beware, you will not find a long display of pictures.
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