Simon Fujiwara: 1982
Miguel Amando
Tate Publishing
Published to coincide with a major exhibition of Fujiwara鈥檚 work at Tate St Ives, this text is closer to an artist鈥檚 book than a conventional exhibition catalogue. With the appearance of a desk diary, the sort that wouldn鈥檛 be out of place in Edina Monsoon鈥檚 office, 1982 features novels, theatre plays, lectures and installations.
In a move that is refreshingly unlike the typical text you might find in a gallery bookshop, Fujiwara鈥檚 selection of fictional curiosities gives valuable insight into the young British/Japanese artist鈥檚 motivations. Particularly joyful is the reproduction of The Mirror Stage, Fujiwara鈥檚 2009-12 performance and installation that dramatises the artist鈥檚 adolescent encounter with a Patrick Heron painting at Tate St Ives in 1993.
For the traditionalists out there, this step away from convention is sugar coated by the 鈥渟upplement鈥 in the back of the book 鈥 a shorter version of the traditional exhibition catalogue complete with an 鈥淚n Conversation鈥 between the artist and Martin Clark. Such a move does dampen the revolutionary spirit of the publication slightly.
Florence Wright