Joan Mitchell Retrospective: Celebrating a Landmark Exhibition
As we enter the final weeks of the retrospective, we're looking back at each ite...
David Zwirner Books Releases "Joan Mitchell: Paintings, 1979–1985"
On September 10, 2024, David Zwirner Books released Joan Mitchell: Paintings, 1979–1985, a companion to the 2022 exhibition of the same name. This new publication takes as its focus a significant and deeply generative period within Mitchell’s decades-long career. The publisher writes:
"As Mitchell became even more fully immersed in daily life at her property in Vétheuil, France—surrounded by lush gardens, and challenged and inspired by new creative relationships—her studio practice flourished and her work became even more ambitious and expansive. Executed in an increasingly bold palette, the works from this period exemplify Mitchell’s nuanced mastery of composition, scale, and color. In addition to her large-scale abstract works, this publication features numerous smaller paintings and a selection of archival materials."
The catalogue features several texts that complement the illustrated works in the book, including a new essay by the bestselling author Julie Otsuka, a conversation between Mitchell and the French philosopher Yves Michaud from 1986, and reflections by artists Amy Sillman, Shinique Smith, and Lily Stockman, each of whom explores a unique component of Mitchell’s oeuvre or practice. In all, this title underscores Mitchell’s continued influence on artists today.
Feeling, existing, living, I think it’s all the same, except for quality. Existing is survival; it does not mean necessarily feeling. You can say good morning, good evening. Feeling is something more: it’s feeling your existence. It’s not just survival. Painting is a means of feeling ‘living.’”
Joan Mitchell, in conversation with Yves Michaud, 1986
To learn more, visit David Zwirner Books.
