Flipping the script on formal analysis, Stemmrich tests the definition of visual art itself through the "other side" of painting
When does a work of art stop becoming a work of art? If the staff at the Louvre were to reverse the Mona Lisa and show the back of the panel, would crowds still gather to see the masterpiece? So-called two-dimensional objects such as paintings, only meant to be viewed from one side, thus call into question the limits of their capabilities—aesthetically, formally or even financially. In the modern era, artists began to recognize these limits as a problem of art's self definition, and experimented with compositions and situations to negotiate a solution. From trompe l'śil paintings to seemingly inscrutable frame backings, Gregor Stemmrich presents a historical overview of art and its visual constraints. Gregor Stemmrich (born 1953) is Professor of Art and Art History at New York University Abu Dhabi.
STATUS: Forthcoming | 12/29/2026
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Viewing Positions Painting and Its Other Side in Art
Published by Hatje Cantz. Text by Gregor Stemmrich.
Flipping the script on formal analysis, Stemmrich tests the definition of visual art itself through the "other side" of painting
When does a work of art stop becoming a work of art? If the staff at the Louvre were to reverse the Mona Lisa and show the back of the panel, would crowds still gather to see the masterpiece? So-called two-dimensional objects such as paintings, only meant to be viewed from one side, thus call into question the limits of their capabilities—aesthetically, formally or even financially. In the modern era, artists began to recognize these limits as a problem of art's self definition, and experimented with compositions and situations to negotiate a solution. From trompe l'śil paintings to seemingly inscrutable frame backings, Gregor Stemmrich presents a historical overview of art and its visual constraints.
Gregor Stemmrich (born 1953) is Professor of Art and Art History at New York University Abu Dhabi.
