Ex Libris

Adam Baumgold Gallery presents the exhibition “Ex Libris” from January 26 through February 26, 2011. The exhibition will focus on art about books and will feature 28 artists: Ed Ruscha, Chris Ware, Maira Kalman, Chip Kidd, Seth, Roz Chast, Robin Tewes, Ruth Marten, Richard Prince, David Hockney, Jean Lowe, Cyrilla Mozenter, Charles Burns, Richard Baker, András Böröcz, Vivienne Koorland, Saul Steinberg, Jennie Ottinger, Nan Swid, Bette Blank, Josephine Halvorson, Molly Springfield, Rebecca Bird, Ryan Brown, Tom Burckhardt, Alice Attie, Renée French and Adam Dant.

Among the works included in the exhibition are Tom Burckhardt’s large “Bookshelf,” 2005 from his exhibition “Full Stop” at the Aldrich Museum – a faux cardboard bookshelf that showcases the artist’s eclectic book collection and simultaneously honors his influences, and Ed Ruscha’s “1984,” 1967 a print whose typography slyly references Orwell’s book with that title. Also featured in the exhibition are many of Ruscha’s early artist’s books and two cover drawings by Chris Ware of his ACME Novelty Library books numbers 16 and 17.

“Ex Libris” also includes Josephine Halvorson’s painting “Many Books,” 2009 that depicts three anonymous stacks of books and Richard Prince’s art book that juxtaposes a drawing of a girl with his drawing interpretation of a ‘DeKooningesque’ woman. Also featured will be a group of Chip Kidd’s actual book covers and book prototypes – master works in graphic design. Jennie Ottinger imparts her unique style in her mini paintings of classic book covers with her own humorous summary of the book’s plotlines within, and Seth’s cardboard sculpture of the fictional “J. Morgan Smith Private Lending Library,” 2009 from his book George Sprott, gently spoofs the seriousness of the institution of the library. Alice Attie contributes dense drawings of text from Kant’s “Critique of Pure Reason” and Sartre’s “Being and Nothingness.” Nan Swid’s collages from book covers and pages deconstruct the book from utilitarian function to art objects, and Bette Blank’s painting “Ye Olde Book Shoppe,” 2011 depicts a bookshop crammed with colorful books executed with her unique perspective.

Additionally in the exhibition are Richard Baker’s paintings on paper of covers of books such as William Burroughs’ “The Job,” that pays tribute to classic graphic design yet bears the artist’s unmistakable painterly touch, and Charles Burns’ drawing “Love in Vein” from his book “El Borbah” that is an ode to pulp fiction and comics. Maira Kalman’s closed “Proust’s Notebook,” 2010 plays on the viewer’s curiosity about the notebook’s contents. In Robin Tewes’ painting “Her Story: She Reads Like an Open Book,” a female figure is defined by the texts that surround her and Rebecca Bird’s painting “Depository,” 2010 considers books as a receptacle for memory and history.

-from adambaumgoldgallery.com