Contemporary Artists: Lawrence Weiner

Part of the Contemporary Artists series.

Lawrence Weiner's art can appear painted across an entire building, floating inside a souvenir biro or sung as a lyric by a country and western band. One of the canonical conceptual artists of the 1960s, this American-born artist was among the first to "dematerialise" the object of art into the realm of language and ideas. He composes texts which describe process, material and structure whilst evoking a poetic vision which unfolds in the reader's mind. They are also contingent on the geography, architecture or function of a particular site and the viewer's personal associations.

Using a utilitarian yet elegant typeface, stark monochrome or vivid colours, his works have a striking formal beauty. Dedicated to the circulation of art and ideas, one statement can take the form of myriad media ranging from paint to stone to video, considering the issue of artistic possession as a cultural phenomenon.

This book is the first comprehensive survey of an internationally celebrated artist who continues to make new commissions around the world. Alexander Alberro collaborates with Alice Zimmerman to overview Weiner's extensive oeuvre; Benjamin H D Buchloh conducts an interview with Weiner; and David Batchelor examines the chameleon changes of one work in a range of contexts. Weiner himself has made a selection of his own scripts, lectures and previous interviews.

'Contemporary Artists' is a series of authoritative and highly illustrated studies of important artists of the late 20th century. Each title offers a comprehensive survey of individual artists' works. Different genres of art writing are contributed by an international spectrum of authors who are leading figures in their fields, ranging from art history and criticism to philosophy, cultural theory and fiction. Each study provides incisive analyses and multiple perspectives on contemporary art and its inspiration. These are essential source books for everyone concerned with art today.