Walls Paper
Matta-clark, Gordon
New York. Buffallo Press. 1973
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].
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].
pp. 144. 4to. (252 x 204 mm). 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.
#48152
