Foreword by Madeleine Grynsztejn. Text by Michael Darling, Chrissie Iles, Kate Zambreno.
"Collier uncouples the machinery of appropriation so that her found images seem weightless, holding their obvious meaning in abeyance." —Brian Dillon, Frieze
New York-based conceptual photographer Anne Collier (born 1970) creates neutral images of objects that already exist in the world, often charged with undercurrents of emotional complexity and vulnerability. Her work deftly addresses subjects inherent to both the act and industry of photography while simultaneously lampooning clichés and uncovering hidden truths. Describing Collier's work in Frieze magazine, the acclaimed author and critic Brian Dillon wrote, "Collier uncouples the machinery of appropriation so that her found images seem weightless, holding their obvious meaning in abeyance." This volume, part of the MCA Monograph series, accompanies the first major solo US exhibition of Collier's work. Alongside a selection of color plates, Michael Darling, James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator at the MCA, reviews the works in the exhibition within the context of the artist's career; Chrissie Iles, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art, examines the artist's position within photographic and cinematic history; and novelist Kate Zambreno considers the fragments of lost objects and what it means to collect.
"Woman With A Camera (Postcard, Verso)" (2013) is reproduced from Anne Collier.
In the catalogue to MCA Chicago's current Anne Collier exhibition, curator Michael Darling writes, "Collier is a consummate rummager, constantly scouring eBay, thrift stores, and used book and record shops in search of evocative materials for use in her photographs. In 2007, for instance, she made a photograph of a 1970s-era poster of a nude woman at the beach, walking out into the surf. The calligraphic 'California' logo at the bottom right corner helps classify this image into the category of deflected self-portraits found throughout the artist’s repertoire: a California girl who has a particular attachment to the ocean. But Collier has also become a connoisseur of such outré images, often tracking down the original photographer or finding rare versions of similar material. She returned to this imagery in 2013 when she found a negative from the same photo shoot, which yielded the original poster on eBay, and then made a large scale print of it. 'Negative (California)' (2013) moves away from the dated, slightly ironic nostalgia of the original image and brings new gravitas to the picture, easily allowing us to imagine that this figure, by now clearly a possible stand-in for the artist, is boldly stepping out into the dark unknown. It is not outlandish to think of this as Collier’s take on of Yves Klein’s famous 'Leap into the Void' (1960), another self-portrait addressing the bravery, faith, and risks of all meaningful artistic action." continue to blog
FORMAT: Hbk, 10 x 10 in. / 116 pgs / 55 color. LIST PRICE: U.S. $35.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $47.5 GBP £30.00 ISBN: 9781938922527 PUBLISHER: MCA Chicago AVAILABLE: 9/30/2014 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Out of stock indefinitely AVAILABILITY: Not available TERRITORY: WORLD
Published by MCA Chicago. Foreword by Madeleine Grynsztejn. Text by Michael Darling, Chrissie Iles, Kate Zambreno.
"Collier uncouples the machinery of appropriation so that her found images seem weightless, holding their obvious meaning in abeyance." —Brian Dillon, Frieze
New York-based conceptual photographer Anne Collier (born 1970) creates neutral images of objects that already exist in the world, often charged with undercurrents of emotional complexity and vulnerability. Her work deftly addresses subjects inherent to both the act and industry of photography while simultaneously lampooning clichés and uncovering hidden truths. Describing Collier's work in Frieze magazine, the acclaimed author and critic Brian Dillon wrote, "Collier uncouples the machinery of appropriation so that her found images seem weightless, holding their obvious meaning in abeyance." This volume, part of the MCA Monograph series, accompanies the first major solo US exhibition of Collier's work. Alongside a selection of color plates, Michael Darling, James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator at the MCA, reviews the works in the exhibition within the context of the artist's career; Chrissie Iles, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art, examines the artist's position within photographic and cinematic history; and novelist Kate Zambreno considers the fragments of lost objects and what it means to collect.
