Looking at Words

This exhibition of works on paper traces the history of the presence of the written word in works of art during the last century. Beginning with Cubism, it attempts for as complete and scholarly an exploration of the subject as possible, drawing examples from Dada, Surrealism, Constructivism, and Futurism, and continuing though Fluxus, Concrete Poetry, and other post-war movements (including outsider and graffiti art) to the present day.

The exhibition was inspired by the long-standing interest of Andrea Rosen and Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, an eminent New York-based collector of twentieth century works on paper, to curate a show together that would encompass both historical and contemporary works on paper. As a result of their numerous discussions and research, it became apparent that the inclusion of text was an important thread, emerging in the 1900's (and thereby defining our period) and continuing through virtually all of the major movements of the intervening years.

In our extensive research on the subject, we have been surprised to find how few books and exhibitions have been devoted to the subject, considering its significance in art created in the past hundred years. The research that does exist appears to have generally chosen a broad approach, or a narrow time frame. Our focus is on works in which text carries a formal weight in the composition. Text may appear in the form of a single letter, words, or newsprint; as legible text, fragmented, or nonsensical; hand-lettered, scrawled or collaged; but our guideline is to include works in which the visual impact is paramount.

This more specific focus has arisen out of another observation arising from our research; that the tendency of our recent studies has been to assume an intellectual reading of the artwork and of text that appears within it. Upon careful reflection, it appears to us that by considering the context of both the art of the earlier years of the century, and current emerging directions, one appreciates that the formal role of text in the work of art has had at least an equal importance to its function as a medium for concept and meaning. In reality, in some of the great works of art, the formal cannot be separated from the conceptual. The decision to further limit our scope to works on paper is in part due to the genesis of the show, but has an obvious logic in the affinity and associations of paper with the written word.

The guideline that we have set for ourselves is that works should be as much about viewing as reading; therefore titles, captions, speech bubbles, studio notes, narrative and manifestos have been generally excluded. The vast array of works that remain, trace a fascinating study of the history of modern art, exploring artists' responses to a world increasingly saturated with words, and identifying one of the defining characteristics of the art of the period.

List of Artists

Anonymous Acconci, Vito Ackermann, Rita Albenda, Ricci Alvarez, D-L Anastasi, William Apollinaire, Guillaume Arakawa, Shusaku Baldessari, John Balla, Giacomo Barry, Robert Basquiat, Jean-Michel Becker, Julie Berman, Wallace Beuys, Joseph Bevilacqua, Michael Bickerton, Ashley Bing, Xu Blumenfeld, Erwin Bochner, Mel Bock, John Boetti, Alighiero E Borofsky, Jonathan Bouabré, Frédéric Bruly Bourgeois, Louise Bransford, Jesse Braque, Georges Brauner, Victor Brecht, George Broodthaers, Marcel Bryans, Matt Bryce, Fernando Burden, Chris Byars, James Lee Cage, John Caivano, Ernesto Campbell, Beth Campuzano, Anthony Cangiullo, Francesco Cannavacciuolo, Maurizio Castle, James Chapman, Jake and Dinos Chopin, Henri Chunn, Nancy Clausen, Franciska Clemente, Francesco Condo, George Cooke, Nigel Cornell, Joseph Coutts, Nathan Crash Dalí, Salvador Darboven, Hanne Darger, Henry Davies, Peter Davis, Stuart Daze de Zayas, Marius Degen, Benjamin Delaunay, Robert Delaunay, Sonia Dine, Jim Dion, Mark Dogançay, Burhan Doig, Peter Dubuffet, Jean Duchamp, Marcel Dzama, Marcel Eisenman, Nicole Emin, Tracey Ermilov, Vassily Ernst, Max Etheredge, Lee Fahlström, Öyvind Fairhurst, Angus Finlay, Ian Hamilton Fischer, Urs Fishman, Louise Fluxus Collective Fraenkel, Théodore Friedman, Tom Frost, Phil Galadshev, Piotr St. Gallagher, Ellen General Idea Giacometti, Alberto Gingold, Madelynn Gober, Robert Golub, Leon Gonzales, Wayne Grosz, George Haacke, Hans Hamilton, Richard Hammerlein, Chris Hancock, Trenton Doyle Hansen, Al Haring, Keith Hausmann, Raoul Heck, Kati Higgs, Matthew Hiller, Susan Hirschhorn, Thomas Hodges, Jim Holstad, Christian Holzer, Jenny Horn, Roni Houedard, Dom Sylvester Hugnet, Georges Hundley, Elliot Hutchinson, David Immendorff, Jörg Indiana, Robert James, Gareth Jensen, Alfred Jess (Burgess Collins) Johanson, Chris Johns, Jasper Johnson, Ray Jones, Joe Kalhammer, Brad Kelley, Mike Kesting, Edmund Kiefer, Anselm Kilimnik, Karen Kippenberger, Martin Kirkeby, Per Kline, Franz Knowles, Christopher Koepcke, Arthur de Kooning, Willem Krisanamis, Udomsak Kruger, Barbara Kuitca, Guillermo La Rocca, Ketty Lady Pink Dr. Lakra Landers, Sean Landy, Michael Lang, Wes Laurita, Louis Le Va, Barry Lerma, José levy, d.a. LeWitt, Sol Lichtenstein, Roy Ligon, Glenn Lombardi, Mark Lozano, Lee Mac Low, Jackson Maciunas, George Madore, Michael Magritte, René Man Ray Mangelos, Dimitrije Ba‰iãeviç Marshall, Kerry James Mauss, Nick McCarthy, Paul McCollum, Allan McGill, Dominic McMakin, Roy Mesens, E.L.T. Miller, Larry Moore, Frank Morris, Robert Morton, Ree Motherwell, Robert Muller, Dave Murry, J.B. Nara, Yoshitomo Nauman, Bruce Nikifor Nitsch, Hermann O'Connor, John J. Odenbach, Marcel Oehlen, Albert Oldenburg, Claes and Coosje van Bruggen Ono, Yoko Panamarenko Parker, Erik Penck, A.R. Pernice, Manfred Person, Leroy Pettibon, Raymond Peyton, Elizabeth Picabia, Francis and Katherine Rhoades Picasso, Pablo Pierson, Jack Piper, Adrian Pittman, Lari Ploberger, Herbert Polke, Sigmar Pope.L, William Popova, Liubov Prieto, Monique Prince, Richard Pylypchuk, Jon Quinn, Justin Ratoff, Barry Rauschenberg, Robert Reynolds, Jock Ritchie, Matthew Rivers, Larry Rodchenko, Aleksandr Rognoni, Angelo Rohde, Werner Rohowsky, Meyers Rollins, Tim + K.O.S. Ronay, Matthew Rondinone, Ugo Rosen, Kay Rosenquist, James Rotella, Mimmo Roth, Dieter Royal Art Lodge Ruppersberg, Allen Ruscha, Ed Ryman, Robert Saffer, Stefan Saul, Peter Scheibitz, Thomas Schnabel, Julian Schwitters, Kurt Shaw, Jim Simmons, Gary Smith, Jack Smithson, Robert Snyder, Joan Sontheimer, Matthew Spero, Nancy Stark, Frances Steinbach, Haim Steinberg, Saul Stoffers, Harald Stokker, Lily van der Stuckenberg, Fritz Sweeney, Spencer Tàpies, Antoni Thek, Paul Thom, Rob Tiravanija, Rirkrit Tomaselli, Fred Tone, Yasunao Tuttle, Richard Twombly, Cy Van Vliet, Don (Captain Beefheart) Vautier, Ben de la Villeglé, Jacques Mahé Vogel, Douglas Vostell, Wolf Walker, Kara Walker, Kelley Warhol, Andy Wegman, William Weiner, Lawrence West, Franz Williams, Emmett Wojnarowicz, David Wolfli, Adolf Wood, Beatrice Wool, Christopher Wurtz, B. Zinelli, Carlo

LOOKING AT WORDS
The Formal Use of Text in Modern and Contemporary Works on Paper
Based on an original idea by Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel
Kurator: Andrea Rosen

Künstler: Vito Acconci, Rita Ackermann, Ricci Albenda, William Anastasi,  Anonymous , Guillaume Apollinaire, Shusaku Arakawa, John Baldessari, Giacomo Balla, Robert Barry, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Julie Becker, Wallace Berman, Joseph Beuys, Michael Bevilacqua, Ashley Bickerton, Erwin Blumenfeld, Mel Bochner, John Bock, Alighiero e Boetti, Jonathan Borofsky, Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Louise Bourgeois, Jesse Bransford, Georges Braque, Victor Brauner, George Brecht, Marcel Broodthaers, Matt Bryans, Fernando Bryce, Chris Burden, James Lee Byars, John Cage, Ernesto Caivano, Beth Campbell, Francesco Cangiullo, Maurizio Cannavacciuolo, James Castle, Jake & Dinos Chapman, Henri Chopin, Nancy Chunn, Franciska Clausen, Francesco Clemente, George Condo, Nigel Cooke, Joseph Cornell, Nathan Coutts, CRASH , Salvador Dalí, Hanne Darboven, Henry Darger, Peter Davies, Stuart Davis, Daze , Benjamin Degen, Robert Delaunay, Sonia Delaunay, Jim Dine, Mark Dion, Peter Doig, Dr. Lakra, Jean Dubuffet, Marcel Duchamp, Marcel Dzama, Nicole Eisenman, Tracey Emin, Max Ernst, Lee Etheredge IV, Öyvind Fahlström, Angus Fairhurst, Urs Fischer, Louise Fishman, Tom Friedman, Phil Frost, Piotr St. Galadshev, Ellen Gallagher, General Idea, Alberto Giacometti, Robert Gober, Leon Golub, Wayne Gonzales, George Grosz, Hans Haacke, Richard Hamilton, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Chris Hammerlein, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Al Hansen, Keith Haring, Raoul Hausmann, Kati Heck, Matthew Higgs, Susan Hiller, Thomas Hirschhorn, Jim Hodges, Christian Holstad, Jenny Holzer, Roni Horn, Georges Hugnet, Elliot Hundley, David L. Hutchinson, Jörg Immendorff, Robert Indiana, Gareth James, Alfred Jensen, Chris Johanson, Jasper Johns, Ray Johnson, Joe Jones, Tim Rollins & KOS, Mike Kelley, Edmund Kesting, Anselm Kiefer, Karen Kilimnik, Martin Kippenberger, Per Kirkeby, Franz Kline, Christopher Knowles, Willem De Kooning, Udomsak Krisanamis, Barbara Kruger, Guillermo Kuitca, Ketty La Rocca, Sean Landers, Michael Landy, Wes Lang, Barry Le Va, Jose Lerma, Sol Le Witt, Roy Lichtenstein, Glenn Ligon, Mark Lombardi, Lee Lozano, Jackson Mac Low, George Maciunas, René Magritte, Nick Mauss, Paul McCarthy, Allan McCollum, Dominic McGill, Roy McMakin, E.L.T. Mesens, Larry Miller, Frank Moore, Robert Morris, Ree Morton, Robert Motherwell, Dave Muller, J. B. Murry, Yoshitomo Nara, Bruce Nauman,  Nikifor , Hermann Nitsch, John J. O'Connor, Marcel Odenbach, Albert Oehlen, Yoko Ono, Panamarenko, Erik Parker, A. R. Penck, Manfred Pernice, Raymond Pettibon, Elizabeth Peyton, Pablo Picasso, Jack Pierson, Lady Pink , Adrian Piper, Lari Pittman, Herbert Ploberger, Sigmar Polke, William Pope L, Monique Prieto, Richard Prince, Jonathan Pylypchuk, Barry Ratoff, Robert Rauschenberg, Matthew Ritchie, Larry Rivers, Alexander Rodtschenko, Angelo Rognoni, Werner Rohde, Matthew Ronay, Ugo Rondinone, Kay Rosen, James Rosenquist, Mimmo Rotella, Dieter Roth, Allen Ruppersberg, Ed Ruscha, Robert Ryman, Stefan Saffer, Peter Saul, Thomas Scheibitz, Julian Schnabel, Kurt Schwitters, Jim Shaw, Gary Simmons, Jack Smith, Robert Smithson, Joan Snyder, Matthew Sontheimer, Nancy Spero, Frances Stark, Haim Steinbach, Saul Steinberg, Lily van der Stokker, Spencer Sweeney, Antoni Tàpies, The Royal Art Lodge, Paul Thek, Rob Thom, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Fred Tomaselli, Yasunao Tone, Richard Tuttle, Cy Twombly, Ben Vautier, Wolf Vostell, Kara Walker, Kelley Walker, Andy Warhol, William Wegman, Lawrence Weiner, Franz West, Emmett Williams, David Wojnarowicz, Adolf Wölfli, Beatrice Wood, Christopher Wool, Xu Bing, Marius de Zayas, Carlo Zinelli