Jean-Michel Alberola. Tableaux

Annette Messager's original use of form and poetic power of communication place her among Europe's leading contemporary artists. Born and brought up in the small town of Berck in Northern France where "everybody made art," in the early 1960s she went to study at the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. There she quickly rejected any hierarchical notion of art form in favor of a freedom of expression inspired initially by Jean Dubuffet and the "outsider" art he promoted. Since the late 1960s, she has experimented with and combined a wide variety of media, from painting and sculpture to assemblage, photography, film and embroidery, often culminating in installations of great potency. Her work is at once intimate and universal, using familiar objects (toys, fishing nets, gloves) in a manner that challenges us to look at our comfortable world with fresh eyes. For this first monograph on Annette Messager, the author has worked closely with the artist to produce a strong, visual work that provides a clear picture of the creative development of a major artist working today. Fully illustrated, including a 34-page introductory port-folio featuring key installations, the book offers a thematically organized text incorporating first-hand interviews with the artist as well as analyses of the significance of individual works. Completed by a full exhibitions history and extensive bibliography, Annette Messager is a must-read for anyone interested in current artistic developments in Europe.

Cette première monographie d'Annette Messager est la bienvenue : elle donne enfin une vision d'ensemble de l'?uvre d'une des plus importantes artistes françaises contemporaines et retrace un parcours extrêmement cohérent, de la construction d'une autobiographie fictive au début des années soixante-dix, aux grandes installations dans lesquelles le spectateur est invité à circuler, dans les années quatre-vingt-dix. Oeuvre singulière qui s'inscrit dans la revendication d'un territoire de la féminité, le travail d'Annette Messager s'inspire des arts populaires, des pratiques domestiques ou religieuses et des jeux de l'enfance. Entre réalisme et fantastique, un monde prend forme : poupées, peluches, crayons de couleur, fils de laine ; journaux intimes, contes de fées, prières ; collages, découpages, peintures, photographies& tous ces objets se démultiplient pour peupler notre imaginaire de souvenirs heureux ou douloureux. Si son ?uvre est si passionnante c'est qu'elle nous renvoie à des expériences vécues, des histoires familières, et que, toujours en mouvement, fragile et complexe, elle interroge sans cesse l'identité de l'art. --Sylvie Lécallier

Catherine Grenier examines the factors that made Salvador Dalí one of the most significant contributors to twentieth century art. She offers astute analysis of Dalí's work and explains how his desire to become a legend fused with the events of a century to facilitate his rise to the top. Although recognized first and foremost as a painter, Dalí experimented with a range of media. This volume draws on the literature, photography, film, and sculpture that Dalí produced throughout his career. From instantly recognizable paintings such as The Persistence of Memory, to surrealist icons such as the Lobster Telephone, to short films made with Luis Buñuel, this is a comprehensive analysis of Dalí's creative output. The volume charts Dalí's progression as an artist and as controversial public figure. His vast artistic and technical talent was evident from a young age and is documented in a chapter illustrated with early self-portraits and depictions of his family and surroundings in north-eastern Spain. Another, devoted to Dalí's influence on contemporary artists from Andy Warhol to Jeff Koons, is testament to the enduring longevity and relevance of his work. Grenier's attention to detail and refined analysis uncover a plethora of details on Dalí's professional and private life, offering fresh insight into the master artist, his inspirations, and motivations.