Maurizio Cattelan: Is There Life Before Death?
Description
This publication features new works by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan (b. 1960) and several of his large-scale pieces dating from 2003 to 2007, all of which are considered in the context of the Menil Collection’s remarkable holdings, with a focus on contemporary art. Cattelan’s subversive, often jarringly direct sculptures are acclaimed for their seemingly absurd juxtapositions and uncanny realism. Reflecting deep suspicions of religious and political authorities, these constructions are sardonic critiques of existing power structures that force the viewer to challenge his or her understanding of symbols both iconic and commonplace. Here works by Lucio Fontana, Robert Morris, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol, and others are put into dialogue with Cattelan’s art.
About the Author
Franklin Sirmans is curator of contemporary art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and former curator of modern and contemporary art at the Menil Collection. At the Menil, he recently co-curated Steve Wolfe on Paper (2009) and co-authored the accompanying publication.