Artists throughout history have been in thrall to the depiction of death. Lynn Stern has made that fascination the focal point of a 25-year exploration of the subject. The resulting book, Skull, reproduces 8 series of skull photographs, some never seen before. Released by publisher Thames & Hudson, Skull includes an accompanying essay by art critic, Donald Kuspit, contextualizing Stern’s work within art history through comparisons with paintings, sculptures and photographs made during the last seven centuries of western art. The monograph also contains an essay by Stern describing, in personal terms, the genesis and evolution of the skull work. The book will be made available for purchase online, as well as through select distributors.
The Skull series (1991) is currently also on view at Taka Ishii Gallery, in New York, and displayed almost in its entirety. These early works denote the beginning of Stern’s obsession and fascination with the representation of the skull. Aiming to deliteralize what is in front of the lens, Stern takes a very painterly approach to photography. Also on view are works from Stern’s Passage series (2002-2010), in which the artist utilizes a translucent white scrim back-lit by indirect, natural light, producing glowing, often ghost-like images. Her Doppleganger series (2013-2014) depicts human skulls veiled by a thin fabric ; they are combined with a black scrim, and in certain instances, with another skull that has been painted charcoal. These subtle embellishments suggest expressive qualities that resist coming into full focus.
Lynn Stern: Skull
Published by Thames & Hudson
$125
http://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/
Lynn Stern at Taka Ishii Gallery
November 30 – December 22, 2017
23 E 67th St
New York, NY 10065
USA
