Converging Lines:
Eva Hesse and Sol LeWitt
By Veronica Roberts with contributions from Lucy R. Lippard & Kirsten Swenson
Yale University Press, 2014
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Description
A fascinating glimpse into the friendship of two acclaimed artists, which reveals the great extent to which they influenced each other’s work and lives
Eva Hesse and Sol LeWitt formed a close friendship between the late 1950s and Hesse’s death in 1970. Converging Lines celebrates this friendship and offers an illuminating look at their close-knit New York circle. Whereas previous scholarship has examined LeWitt’s impact on Hesse, this is the first publication to demonstrate that the artists influenced each other’s art and lives in reciprocal and profound ways.
Richly documented, this book includes a personal recollection by Lucy R. Lippard, a distinguished American art writer and critic who was a close friend of both artists. Also included are reproductions of 39 postcards LeWitt wrote to Hesse during his international travels, along with a poignant five-page letter that he sent Hesse, attesting to his belief in her talent; a previously unpublished interview from 2001 with LeWitt about his relationship with Hesse; and an illustrated chronology drawing upon interviews, photographs, and primary documents from the time. Shedding new light on the careers and personal lives of Hesse and LeWitt, this publication explores the deep connections between two of the 20th century’s most important artists.
Reviews
"A word about the show's catalog: It's one of the best I've ever seen. Its size (generous, but not clumsily large), weight (hefty but not uncomfortable), fonts, paper, interior images and cover illustration (a 1968 work on paper by Hesse that gracefully sums up the show's premise) are just about perfect. The essays—by the show's curator, Veronica Roberts; art historian Kirsten Swenson; and Ms. Lippard, the veteran critic—are informative and argot-free. . . . The 'Converging Lines' catalog should be a model for museum publications to come."—Peter Plagens, Wall Street Journal
"Eva Hesse and Sol LeWitt were the closest of friends, their bond informing much of their work. A new book, Converging Lines, chronicles their kinship through personal photos, affectionate letters and . . . postcards from across the globe."—T: The New York Times Style Magazine
About the Authors
Veronica Roberts is curator of modern and contemporary art at the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas, Austin. Lucy R. Lippard is a writer, curator, and activist who was a close friend of Eva Hesse and Sol LeWitt. Kirsten Swenson is assistant professor of contemporary art and aesthetics at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.
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