I bought the book Eva Hesse: Studiowork this past weekend with a big gift certificate my mother got me for Christmas. I have yet to really dive into the text in the book, but I've taken a few good looks at the images which are mainly of small pieces of paper and latex sculpture, in-studio experiments and unfinished works that were found in Eva Hesse's studio at the time of her death at age 34, in 1970.
The book raises some interesting questions about how one might view work that is incomplete, or similarily, is purely experimental and cannot easily be directly attached to a larger, finished work. Why should such small studio works be considered less legitimate or relevant than larger pieces or "finished products" within an artist's oeuvre? The author, Briony Fer, argues that such small works shouldn't be overlooked, and the fact that they are unfinished makes them of particular interest because they "continue being made as we think about them, remaining in a state of becoming in our minds."
For more on the amazing Eva Hesse, take a look at the website of her estate.
The exhibition Eva Hesse: Studiowork will be at the AGO from September 10th, 2010 to January 2, 2011.
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