Description:
The first volume in the new series Jean-François Lyotard: Writings on Contemporary Art and Artists is dedicated to the Dutch Abstract Expressionist painter, sculptor, and poet Karel Appel (1921-2006). Originally published in German, the book's...
Review Quotes:
Karel Appel: Un geste de couleur is the premier edition in a five volume series devoted to writings on contemporary artists by Jean-François Lyotard. This is the first French/English translation of the manuscript since originally being published in German in 1998, the year of Lyotardâ Ys death. The book is a sturdy, hard bound, bilingual edition with twenty-five small color plates at its close which are cited throughout the text.
The overall structure of Un geste de couleur is linear with each chapter narrating a step in the process of Lyotardâ Ys engagement with Appelâ Ys work. Graduate and undergraduate students familiar with either philosophy or art theory will recognize some of the terminology and concepts discussed however specialization is not a prerequisite. Lyotard contextualizes his ideas such as "before-shock" and "immateriality" within the body of the text resulting in a less formal tone when compared to his other writings. For an excellent summary of the book there is Christine Buci-Glucksmanâ Ys epilogue. She encapsulates Lyotardâ Ys thought for those who struggle, but situates Un geste within a greater lineage of aesthetic discourse.
Matthew Mann, Library Associate/Exhibition Coordinator, Arts + Humanities Division, Art Libraries Society of North America, 2010