Irrational Judgments
Eva Hesse, Sol LeWitt, and 1960s New York
-
- $57.99
-
- $57.99
Publisher Description
Irrational Judgments examines the close friendship and significant exchange of ideas between Eva Hesse (1936–1970) and Sol LeWitt (1928–2007) in New York City during the 1960s. Taking its title from LeWitt’s statement “Irrational judgments lead to new experience,” this book examines the breakthroughs of the artists’ intertwined careers, offering a new understanding of minimal, post-minimal, and conceptual art amid the era’s political and social upheavals.
Kirsten Swenson offers the first in-depth discussion of the early critical developments of each artist: LeWitt’s turn from commercial design to fine art, and Hesse’s move from expressionist painting to reliefs and sculpture. Bringing together a wealth of documents, interviews, and images—many published here for the first time—this handsome publication presents an insightful account of the artists’ influence on and support for each other’s pursuit of an experimental practice. Swenson’s analysis expands our understanding of the artists’ ideas, the importance of their work, and, more broadly, the relationship of the 1960s New York art world to gender politics, the Vietnam War, and the city itself.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The friendship and collaboration of influential New York artists Sol LeWitt and Eva Hesse lasted a mere 10 years, but their intense influence on the art world still lingers. Throughout this wonderful new academic study, UMass Lowell art history professor Swenson explores the breakthroughs in each artist's career and the ways their work converged and diverged over time. Swenson proceeds chronologically through the 1960s, tracing the overlap between the two artists and how their creative production evolved. Hesse and LeWitt both started their careers as painters but negotiated their conceptual problems with painting by turning to three-dimensional work. Letters between Hesse and LeWitt convey the powerful connection between the two, and it is inspiring to see how they pushed each other to work harder and in more innovative ways. Swenson's smart criticism points out the politics of sexuality and gender at play between the two but does not force a fixed narrative onto the story of their relationship. At the center of the book is the art itself the stunning and provocative work that separated them from their predecessors and successors. Hesse died in 1970 at age 36, cutting short a tremendous career and her powerful bond with LeWitt. This stellar account of Hesse and LeWitt's friendship, as well as their exhibitions and installations, will deepen readers' understanding of these groundbreaking artists. Illus.