Books

American conceptual artist Michael Asher––known for his “site-specific” work that investigates the relationship between a piece of art and its place of display––relocated a 20th-century bronze cast of Jean-Antoine Houdon’s (French, 1741-1828) famous marble George Washington from the Art Institute’s front steps to an interior gallery in a 1979 exhibition. In placing the work in a new context, Asher sought to make the viewer aware of usually invisible institutional practices: the categorization of works of art, methods of installation, and the criteria for assigning aesthetic value. In a 2005 installation at the museum, Asher again relocated the statue—but to an entirely different effect.  This title examines both installations and offers a unique glimpse into the evolution of artist’s provocative and challenging process. 

 Soft cover; 96 pages with 88 illustrations. 7" x 9 1/2" x 1/2".