Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Historians have made much of the influence of conceptualist Sol Lewitt on artist Eva Hesse, but this book-and its corresponding exhibition-effortlessly proves that this inspiration went both ways. Hesse died in her early 30s of a brain tumor, a loss which devastated her close friend Lewitt. He dedicated his next exhibition to her memory and would, throughout his life, speak of the impression Hesse made on him. The well-researched but dry essays by curator Veronica Roberts and art historian Kirsten Swenson comparing Hesse and Lewitt's artworks are bolstered by critic Lucy Lippard's piece, which provides insight into the personalities of the two artists, as well as her working relationship with them. The supplementary materials provide invaluable historical contextualization as well as opportunity for the reader to participate in the visual analysis of Hesse and Lewitts artworks. Color-plate images of their artworks allow shared themes to come through, while reproductions of letter and postcard correspondence from Lewitt to Hesse give further insight into their friendship. An in-depth chronology with photographs interspersed situates Hesse and Lewitt in the context of their time, while maps of Manhattan featuring the homes and sites of artists and art spaces in the 1960s and 70s will delight any fan of this intriguing period in art. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
