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Walls paper

Item date(s): 1973

Gordon Matta-Clark


Pages: unpaged
Size: 256mm


Place publication: n. p.
Publisher: Buffallo Press

Additional notes:
Illustrated as item 75 in Modern + Contemporary Art, Ars Libri Ltd, Catalogue 142, 2008.

Illustrated as item 136 in Post-War Art. Simms Reed Ltd. 2011.

Illustrated as item 32 in Modern & Contemporary Illustrated & Photography Books. Ursus Books. 2011.

Illustrated as item 136 in Post-War Art. Sims Reed. 2011.

Sims Reed Ltd. Catalogue. 12-14 April 2019. Grand Palais, Paris.

Item 54. MATTA-CLARK, Gordon. Walls Paper. New York. Buffallo Press. 1973. 4to. (252 x 204 mm). pp. 144. Pages split horizontally into two sections, as designed. Each of the pages reproduces a colour-tinted black-and-white photograph. Original publisher's printed wrappers with photographic reproductions to front and rear covers. An excellent copy of Walls Paper, Gordon Matta-Clark's scarce artist book. Gordon Matta-Clark, who died in 1978 aged only 35, was best known for his site-specific sculptural work known as 'building cuts'. These were sculptural transformations within constructions scheduled for demolition, made by cutting through them and exposing their cross section and interiors. Although requiring a good deal of quite violent hard work, Matta-Clark's creations now exist primarily in the form of photographs, videos and films. Walls paper is his most renowned photobook. It consists of a suite of colour photographs depicting the exposed interior walls of Bronx tenement buildings that were being demolished. Clearly, Matta-Clark had not been able to get to these buildings before the wreckers, but instead of halving the building, he halved the book. Each page has been cut horizontally, so that the viewer can experience Matta-Clark's creative process, and split the building while turning the pages. [Parr & Badger, The Photobook II, pp. 148-149].

Ref: GB/11319







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