On Kawara (Phaidon Contemporary Artists Series)

On Kawara (Phaidon Contemporary Artists Series) by Denizot, René. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780714841045.

Japanese-born, New-York-based On Kawara (b.1933) is one of the worlds best-known Conceptual artists, a major international figure since the 1960s. Kawaras existence is documented solely through his daily art-making practice. Best known are his Date Paintings (1965-ongoing), in which he methodically creates a single painting a day, with simply the date written on it. This book is a rare chance for his followers to unravel more of the mystery of this cult figure, and for less familiar readers to be introduced to his fascinating life and work. A unique feature of this book is the Tribute section, which reflects the artists lifelong commitment never to be personally documented in his own words. A collection of short statements by 30 individuals selected personally by Kawara - among them artists Lawrence Weiner and Dan Graham, and cultural theorist Homi Bhabha - create an indirect portrait of the artist. In the Survey, Curator Jonathan examines the artists long-standing career: from his early figurative painting in the 1950s, to his later, text-based Conceptual art. Curator René Denizot analyses in his Focus a two-person exhibition combining Kawaras work with Alberto Giacomettis, revealing both artists shared concern for the essence of human existence. The artists interest in the nature of consciousness is reflected in a scientific essay he has selected for his Artists Choice from the academic Journal of Consciousness Studies. In the Artists Writings, a series of handwritten love letters in an indecipherable code reflect the mix of the impersonal and the deeply humanistic threads that run through Kawaras art.