Liz Larner: Don't Put It Back Like It Was

Liz Larner is a Los Angeles-based sculptor and installation artist who was originally a photographer. She is known for her sculptures that are composed of a diverse variety of materials and function as optical illusions that seem to bend the space around them. This monograph offers an opportunity to consider Larner's artistic project within todays expanded discourses of embodiment, gender, and posthumanism and to recalibrate our understanding of it in relation to male-dominated Postminimalism and installation art.

Format: Hardback
Length: 96 pages
Publication date: 14 October 2022
Publisher: Dancing Foxes Press

Los Angeles-based sculptor and installation artist Liz Larner (born 1960) initially started as a photographer, documenting the dynamic nature of bacterial cultures in petri dishes. However, it wasn't long before she became captivated by the petri dishes themselves and the intriguing questions they raised about the essence of an art object. Since then, Larner has dedicated herself to exploring the realm of formal unpredictability through her sculptures and architectural spaces. Her works, made from a wide range of materials, often create optical illusions that distort the surrounding space. These sculptures exhibit a remarkable fluidity in form, oscillating between rigidly technical and softly amorphous. What sets Larner's sculptures apart is their ability to capture the interplay between shape and spatial politics, as well as their representation of the ever-changing nature of embodiment, gender, and posthumanism.

In this monograph, the authors seek to reexamine Larner's artistic project within the broader contexts of embodiment, gender, and posthumanism. They invite prominent figures such as poet Ariana Reines, cultural critic and theorist Catherine Liu, and curators Connie Butler and Mary Ceruti to explore the physical properties and sociopolitical implications of the materials used in Larner's work. These materials span from ceramic to steel chain to surgical gauze to human hair, each carrying its own unique qualities and meanings.

Through their thoughtful analysis, the authors shed light on the ways in which Larner's sculptures challenge traditional notions of sculpture and installation art. They highlight the ways in which she subverts patriarchal structures and explores the boundaries between the human and the nonhuman. They also examine the political and social implications of her work, particularly in relation to issues of power, identity, and the environment.

By repositioning Larner's enduring formal and material concerns alongside her relationship to a feminist sculptural position, this monograph offers a fresh perspective on her artistic project. It encourages readers to recalibrate their understanding of her work in relation to male-dominated Postminimalism and installation art, which have often shaped the critical reception of her work.

In conclusion, Liz Larner's sculptures are a testament to her unwavering commitment to exploring the boundaries of art and the human experience. Through her innovative use of materials and her bold formal and conceptual vocabulary, she has created a body of work that challenges our perceptions of sculpture, space, and gender. This monograph provides a valuable platform for further exploration and appreciation of Larner's artistic legacy.

Weight: 839g
Dimension: 284 x 244 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781733688956