Ernst van Alphen Bücher

According to most of the critical commentary on Francis Bacon, the paintings by this crucially important artist are about violence, torment, fragmentation and loss. However, Ernst van Alphen argues that it is the violence done to the viewer that needs to be addressed if we are to understand how these works function.In this provocative and highly original interpretation of Bacon's art, the author offers close readings of significant works, discussing them in relationship to theories of schizophrenia, masculinity and contemporary literature, as well as issues of representation and visuality. By looking at the paintings in intricate detail and exploring their connections within cultural theory, van Alphen brings Bacon into the context of the contemporary critical debate."This examination of critical reactions to Bacon is very welcome"— The Art Newspaper

From architectural space to narrative a brilliant new conception of sculpture’s unique modalities While discussions about installation art or other three-dimensional art forms are widespread, the discourse on sculpture seems to be stuck in historical or thematic frameworks. Drawing from literature, philosophy, psychoanalysis and architecture, Ernst van Alphen explores “seven logics” of the Logic of Inner Necessity; the Logic of Narration; the Logic of Space; the Logic of Volume; the Logic of Assemblage; the Logic of Architectural Space; and the Non-Logic of Singleness. These themes articulate the modalities specific to sculpture in a fresh and brilliant conception. Artists discussed include Carl Andre, Louise Bourgeois, Constantin Brâncusi, Joseph Cornell, Marcel Duchamp, Eva Hesse, Donald Judd, Sol Lewitt, Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, Michelangelo, Bruce Nauman, Meret Oppenheim and Rachel Whiteread.Ernst van Alphen (born 1958) is a cultural theorist and a professor emeritus of literary studies at the Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society. He is the author of Failed Images (Valiz, 2018) and Staging the Archive (Reaktion Books, 2014), and the editor of Shame! and Masculinity (Valiz, 2020).

How artists have devised creative solutions to the taxonomic constraints of the archive This critical anthology addresses three often-overlooked issues facing archival the question of inclusion in or exclusion from the archive; the loss of individuality and specificity in the archive; the danger of homogenization; and the risk that archiving may foster a form of pigeonholing. Since the archive is a fundamental symbolic entity, on the basis of which we organize our lives, the past, the present and the future, these issues require exploration. Productive Archiving proposes that artistic treatments of (and interventions in) archives can offer innovative ways to foster new connections and ways of thinking and organizing.Authors include : Aleida Assmann, Annet Dekker, Lars Ebert, Sebastián Díaz Morales, Monika Huber, William Kentridge, Pablo Lerma, Inge Meijer, Santu Mofokeng, Merapi Obermayer, Walid Raad, Ana Paula Saab, Drew Sawyer, Carla Subrizi, Marjan Teeuwen, Daria Tuminas, Jeffrey Wallen.Visual essays by : Sebastían Díaz Morales, Monika Huber, William Kentridge, Pablo Lerma, Inge Meijer, Marjan Teeuwen and Santu Mofokeng.