David Hammons: Bliz-aard Ball Sale (afterall Books / One Work)
by Elena Filipovic /
2017 / English / PDF
42.1 MB Download
Drawing on unpublished documents and oral histories, an
illustrated examination of an iconic artwork of an artist who has
made a lifework of tactical evasion.
Drawing on unpublished documents and oral histories, an
illustrated examination of an iconic artwork of an artist who has
made a lifework of tactical evasion.
One wintry day in 1983, alongside other street sellers in the
East Village, David Hammons peddled snowballs of various sizes.
He had neatly laid them out in graduated rows and spent the day
acting as obliging salesman. He called the evanescent and
unannounced street action
One wintry day in 1983, alongside other street sellers in the
East Village, David Hammons peddled snowballs of various sizes.
He had neatly laid them out in graduated rows and spent the day
acting as obliging salesman. He called the evanescent and
unannounced street actionBliz-aard Ball Sale
Bliz-aard Ball Sale, thus
inscribing it into a body of work that, from the late 1960s to
the present, has used a lexicon of ephemeral actions and
self-consciously "black" materials to comment on the nature of
the artwork, the art world, and race in America. And
although
, thus
inscribing it into a body of work that, from the late 1960s to
the present, has used a lexicon of ephemeral actions and
self-consciously "black" materials to comment on the nature of
the artwork, the art world, and race in America. And
althoughBliz-aard Ball Sale
Bliz-aard Ball Sale has been
frequently cited and is increasingly influential, it has long
been known only through a mix of eyewitness rumors and a handful
of photographs. Its details were as elusive as the artist
himself; even its exact date was unrecorded. Like so much of
the artist's work, it was
has been
frequently cited and is increasingly influential, it has long
been known only through a mix of eyewitness rumors and a handful
of photographs. Its details were as elusive as the artist
himself; even its exact date was unrecorded. Like so much of
the artist's work, it wasconceived, it seems, to
slip between our fingers -- to trouble the grasp of the market,
as much as of history and knowability.
conceived, it seems, to
slip between our fingers -- to trouble the grasp of the market,
as much as of history and knowability.
In this engaging study, Elena Filipovic collects a vast oral
history of the ephemeral action, uncovering rare images and
documents, and giving us singular insight into an artist who made
an art of making himself difficult to find. And through it, she
reveals
In this engaging study, Elena Filipovic collects a vast oral
history of the ephemeral action, uncovering rare images and
documents, and giving us singular insight into an artist who made
an art of making himself difficult to find. And through it, she
revealsBliz-aard Ball Sale
Bliz-aard Ball Sale to be the backbone of a
radical artistic oeuvre that transforms such notions as "art,"
"commodity," "performance," and even "race" into categories that
shift and dissolve, much like slowly melting snowballs.
to be the backbone of a
radical artistic oeuvre that transforms such notions as "art,"
"commodity," "performance," and even "race" into categories that
shift and dissolve, much like slowly melting snowballs.
