Lawrence Weiner
10 Works, 1971
Artist book. Tan printed wraps in a protective clear acetate dust cover, 82 unnumbered pp. First edition. Text in English and French. Edition of 1,000. The book is divided into 10 8-page sections. Each section features an English phrase on the right side and its French equivalent on the left, thus creating 10 conceptual sculptures in the medium of words on pages.
6 3/4h x 4 1/4w in / 17.15h x 10.80w cm
LW020
$ 250.00
One of Weiner’s earliest publications. Entry # four of the artist's books in Dieter Schwarz' "Lawrence Weiner: Books 1968-1989: Catalogue Raisonné."
The book is divided into 10 8-page sections. Each section features an English phrase on the first recto and its French equivalent on the verso, thus creating 10 conceptual sculptures in the medium of words on pages.
Lawrence Weiner (1942-2021) was a leading American conceptual artist, known for his subversive deconstructions of object and language structures. His text-based sculptures were often executed directly onto gallery walls, inviting collaborative effort from the viewer through their interpretive interactions. The pieces were also collaborative in the sense that they were not necessarily written by Weiner in his own hand, but delegated to a sign painter through specific instruction. Later, a model formulated with the aid of Seth Siegelaub and Robert Projanksy allowed for the sale of Weiner's concepts, with the new legal owner able to realize the concept however they saw fit. Weiner’s practice can be summarized by the contents of his early piece Declaration of Intent (1968): “The artist may construct the piece; the piece may be fabricated; the piece need not be built; each being equal and consistent with the intent of the artist the decision as to condition rests with the receiver upon the occasion of receivership” Though his writing was often evocative of conceivable action and material, Weiner was of the belief that the imagined gesture alone could constitute a fully realized artwork.
