Mary Heilmann
Throughout her career, artist Mary Heilmann has experimented with the book form. One of her earliest experiments is The Book of Night (1970), currently on view at Dia Beacon as part of the exhibition, Mary Heilmann: Starry Night. A bound compendium of unstretched canvases referencing astronomical constellations, this large, children’s book-like work hems painting into a three-dimensional object, blurring the boundaries between media and providing a tactile interface for interacting with the cosmos. On the occasion of this exhibition and taking The Book of Night and its 2016 facsimile published by Small Editions as a point of departure, this talk will consider the haptic and performative dimensions of artists’ books and what is lost and gained in the reproduction of such unique titles. Presented by Dia Art Foundation. Register here