On Kawara: Date Paintings in New York and 136 Other Cities
The Japanese conceptual artist On Kawara (born 1933) has nurtured a fascination with counting and time for more than 40 years now, most famously through the ongoing execution of his famous “date paintings” of the Today series: a daily ritual to conclude only on the day of his death. The first painting in the series was executed in New York on January 4, 1966; since then, On Kawara has carried out the procedure at regular intervals in cities throughout the world, painting each day, month and year in a white sans-serif script against a monochrome background in the language conventions of the country he is in. When not displayed, each painting is stored in a box and accompanied by a local newspaper clipping of the day. Despite numerous solo exhibitions worldwide, Date Painting(s) in New York and 136 Other Cities is the first retrospective of the 45 years of On Kawara’s date paintings. Including over 180 date paintings, the book is divided into two parts: one that covers the complete series of paintings done in New York, and a second that focuses on the series of works done in different locales throughout the world. The result offers a unique insight into the role that place and a life of travel has played in a body of work that has been defined by time and chronology.
Featured image, of On Kawara’s studio on 13th Street and 1st Avenue, New York, in 1966, is reproduced from On Kawara: Date Paintings in New York and 136 Other Cities.
STATUS: Out of stock indefinitely.
FROM THE BOOK
"We cannot get direct visual confirmation of On Kawara. We cannot see his body itself; we cannot hear the voice that issues from it. Nor can we access direct records such as photographs taken of him or recorded audiotapes. What is presented to us is only data that shows indirectly when, where, and what his body was doing—traces left on paper and canvas of the act of recording that data. One might say we are only given the shadows that Kawara casts.
This has been the situation since 1966, when Kawara began the so-called Today series in the United States. Before then, especially up to 1959 when he was working in Japan, his body was often sighted. One might even say he actively appeared in the public sphere. He took part in discussions with other artists and did not refuse publication of photographs. That was fine at the time. This was because Kawara’s practice then suffered no loss from having his own figure directly captured. His motif was not the intrinsic body of On Kawara but rather of the human body in general, one could say…"
Excerpt is from Lei Yamabe's essay in On Kawara: Date Paintings in New York and 136 Other Cities.
FORMAT: Hbk, 9.75 x 11 in. / 288 pgs / 340 color / 10 b&w. LIST PRICE: U.S. $60.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $79 ISBN: 9789461300157 PUBLISHER: Ludion AVAILABLE: 8/31/2012 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Out of stock indefinitely AVAILABILITY: Not available TERRITORY: NA ASIA AU/NZ AFR ME
On Kawara: Date Paintings in New York and 136 Other Cities
Published by Ludion.
The Japanese conceptual artist On Kawara (born 1933) has nurtured a fascination with counting and time for more than 40 years now, most famously through the ongoing execution of his famous “date paintings” of the Today series: a daily ritual to conclude only on the day of his death. The first painting in the series was executed in New York on January 4, 1966; since then, On Kawara has carried out the procedure at regular intervals in cities throughout the world, painting each day, month and year in a white sans-serif script against a monochrome background in the language conventions of the country he is in. When not displayed, each painting is stored in a box and accompanied by a local newspaper clipping of the day. Despite numerous solo exhibitions worldwide, Date Painting(s) in New York and 136 Other Cities is the first retrospective of the 45 years of On Kawara’s date paintings. Including over 180 date paintings, the book is divided into two parts: one that covers the complete series of paintings done in New York, and a second that focuses on the series of works done in different locales throughout the world. The result offers a unique insight into the role that place and a life of travel has played in a body of work that has been defined by time and chronology.
