About the book
The first book-length study of this influential artist's work, focusing on the participatory role of the human subject rather than the art object.
Michael Asher doesn't make typical installations. Instead, he extracts his art from the institutions in which it is shown, culling it from collections, histories, or museums' own walls. Since the late 1960s, Asher has been creating situations that have not only taught us about the conditions and contexts of contemporary art, but have worked to define it.
In Situation Aesthetics, Kirsi Peltomäki examines Asher's practice by analyzing the social situations that the artist constructs in his work for viewers, participants, and institutional representatives (including gallery directors, curators, and other museum staff members). Drawing on art criticism, the reports of viewers and participants in Asher's projects, and the artist's own archives, Peltomäki offers a comprehensive account of Asher's work over the past four decades. Because of the intensely site-specific nature of this work, as well as the artist's refusal to reconstruct past works or mount retrospectives, many of the projects Peltomäki discusses are described here for the first time.
By emphasizing the social and psychological sites of art rather than the production of autonomous art objects, Peltomäki argues, Asher constructs experientially complex situations that profoundly affect those who encounter them, bringing about both personal and institutional transformation.
Editions of Situation Aesthetics
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780262013680
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780262526081
Read an Excerpt
The first book-length study of this influential artist's work, focusing on the participatory role of the human subject rather than the art object.
Michael Asher doesn't make typical installations. Instead, he extracts his art from the institutions in which it is shown, culling it from collections, histories, or museums' own walls. Since the late 1960s, Asher has been creating situations that have not only taught us about the conditions and contexts of contemporary art, but have worked to define it.
In Situation Aesthetics, Kirsi Peltomäki examines Asher's practice by analyzing the social situations that the artist constructs in his work for viewers, participants, and institutional representatives (including gallery directors, curators, and other museum staff members). Drawing on art criticism, the reports of viewers and participants in Asher's projects, and the artist's own archives, Peltomäki offers a comprehensive account of Asher's work over the past four decades. Because of the intensely site-specific nature of this work, as well as the artist's refusal to reconstruct past works or mount retrospectives, many of the projects Peltomäki discusses are described here for the first time.
By emphasizing the social and psychological sites of art rather than the production of autonomous art objects, Peltomäki argues, Asher constructs experientially complex situations that profoundly affect those who encounter them, bringing about both personal and institutional transformation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Situation Aesthetics about?
The first book-length study of this influential artist's work, focusing on the participatory role of the human subject rather than the art object.
Michael Asher doesn't make typical installations. Instead, he extracts his art from the institutions in which it is shown, culling it from collections, histories, or museums' own walls. Since the late 1960s, Asher has been creating situations that have not only taught us about the conditions and contexts of contemporary art, but have worked to define it.
In Situation Aesthetics, Kirsi Peltomäki examines Asher's practice by analyzing the social situations that the artist constructs in his work for viewers, participants, and institutional representatives (including gallery directors, curators, and other museum staff members). Drawing on art criticism, the reports of viewers and participants in Asher's projects, and the artist's own archives, Peltomäki offers a comprehensive account of Asher's work over the past four decades. Because of the intensely site-specific nature of this work, as well as the artist's refusal to reconstruct past works or mount retrospectives, many of the projects Peltomäki discusses are described here for the first time.
By emphasizing the social and psychological sites of art rather than the production of autonomous art objects, Peltomäki argues, Asher constructs experientially complex situations that profoundly affect those who encounter them, bringing about both personal and institutional transformation.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Situation Aesthetics?
The Arts > The visual, decorative or fine arts: treatments and subjects > Individual artists, art monographs
Where can I read a sample of Situation Aesthetics?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780262013680
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Situation Aesthetics?
Kirsi Peltomaki
Who is the Publisher of the book Situation Aesthetics?
MIT Press
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Situation Aesthetics is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780262013680) and paperback(ISBN 9780262526081)
Where can I buy Situation Aesthetics online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Situation Aesthetics from below
Where can I buy Situation Aesthetics?