Wednesday, April 16, 2008

William Christenberry Works on Paper.




William Christenberry Works on Paper. By William Christenberry. Nazraeli Press. 64pp., 14 x 17 (hardbound). Limited edition of 1,000 casebound copies.

"Widely known for his work in photography and sculpture, William Christenberry’s early career was marked by large abstract expressionist paintings (1954–64). Like many artists educated and inspired by abstract expressionists, Christenberry has consistently produced works on paper that often remained hidden from collectors and curators.

W/P [William Christenberry Works on Paper.], the latest book on Christenberry’s work, presents a selection of mostly large-scale (32 x 40), recent works on paper executed with a variety of materials including wax, ink, soil, felt paper and sandpaper.

As with much of his work, the last “drawing” touches upon his themes of decay and rebirth, persistence, pathos, regeneration and hope. W/P highlights recent drawings of tree forms, employed by Christenberry as the image by which to portray abstract structures, among which are hidden hanging gourds, a swaying figure, a cruciform shape recalling a burning cross, and house forms recalling abandoned tenant farms."

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