Joan Jonas: Next Move in a Mirror World

This book explores Joan Jonas' body of work through three thematic approaches: gender, being, and otherness, landscape and ecology, and medium specificity and un-specificity. It includes new writing and scholarship, excerpts from Douglas Crimp's final interview, and drawings and sketches from Jonas' notebooks.

Format: Hardback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 11 July 2023
Publisher: Dia Art Foundation,U.S.

This groundbreaking volume, published in conjunction with the first major US museum show of Joan Jonas art in nearly 15 years, takes a conceptually innovative approach to examining Jonas' performances and installations. By contextualizing and expanding our understanding of his body of work through three thematic lenses—the critical notions of gender, being, and otherness; the politics of landscape and ecology; and new conceptions of medium specificity and un-specificity—this volume breaks new ground. These themes serve as a framework through which to explore the rich vocabulary of Jonas' performances, sculptures, drawings, and installations, spanning from the early 1970s to the present day.

Inspired by the format of a reader, the monograph features new writing and scholarship, excerpts from Douglas Crimp's final interview, as well as a selection of drawings and sketches from Jonas' notebooks, including never-before-published drawings created during the coronavirus lockdown.

Joan Jonas, born in 1936 in New York, is a renowned artist who has taught at prestigious institutions such as UCLA School of the Arts, in Stuttgart, Germany, and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she currently holds the position of professor emerita. Throughout her career, Jonas has lived and worked in various countries, including Greece, Morocco, India, Germany, Holland, Iceland, Poland, Japan, Italy, Hungary, and Ireland, contributing to her diverse and international artistic perspective.

This monograph offers a comprehensive exploration of Joan Jonas' artistic journey, providing a deeper understanding of his work and its significance within the broader context of contemporary art. Through its innovative approach and rich content, it serves as a valuable resource for scholars, artists, and enthusiasts alike.

Dimension: 254 x 191 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780944521977