Dan Graham

Assembled from the wisdom of 36 legendary art teachers - all of them artists or critics at the top of their field - Akademie X: Lessons in Art + Life is an ideal curriculum for the aspiring artist.Each of the book's "tutors" has provided a unique lesson that aims to provoke, inspire and stimulate the aspiring artist. These lessons cover some combination of the following: technical advice (e.g. don't make a sculpture bigger than your studio door), assignments (some of which will take five minutes to complete, others five years), tips for avoiding creative ruts (including suggestions for mind-expanding materials to read, watch or listen to), principles of careful looking (demonstrated with images of artworks, photographs, films or even billboard advertisements), advice on the daily practice of art (how to balance time alone in the studio with building an artistic community), career pointers (how to prepare for a studio visit from a curator or gallerist) and personal anecdotes (e.g. stories from the instructor's own humble beginnings). Taken together, these lessons offer the reader a set of tools for thinking, seeing and living as an artist.Not only is Akademie X: Lessons in Art + Life the first illustrated text book of its kind for artists, but it will also appeal to anyone interested in contemporary art, providing first hand revelations into the philosophies and techniques of some of the world's best artists and writers.

Dan Graham (born 1942) began his career directing the John Daniels Gallery in New York City in 1964, where he mounted Sol LeWitt's first one-man show. His acclaimed group shows included works by artists such as Donald Judd, Dan Flavin and Robert Smithson. Like them, Graham considered himself a writer-artist, publishing essays and reviews on topics ranging from rock music to Eisenhower's paintings and Dean Martin's television show. His earliest projects dealt with the magazine page, and one of his seminal early works was a series of magazine-style photographs with text, "Homes for America" (1966-1967). Today he is among America's most prominent artists, both as a practitioner and as a well-respected critic and theorist. This important and substantial collection brings together an assortment of texts both old and new, with writings on art, artists' books, architecture and various artists Graham admires, such as Carl Andre, Sol LeWitt, Claes Oldenburg, Jeff Wall and John Chamberlain. Also included is a selection of interviews conducted since the 1990s, most notably on his large-scale installations and pavilions incorporating mirrors--a culmination of his long examination of the psychological relationship between people and architecture. This book is part of JRP-Ringier's Positions series, co-published with Les Presses du reel.

Since the mid-1960s when he started out as a fledgling critic, Dan Graham has carved out a unique role for himself, expanding the scope of the Conceptual artist to incorporate art criticism, music criticism, photography and architecture. For this volume, curator Hans Ulrich Obrist met with Graham on several occasions to discuss the artist's work, life and the numerous interests he passionately follows. The conversation thus wanders seamlessly from architecture to rock and roll, philosophy to astrology, Graham's early performance pieces, photography and articles, to the films and glass pavilions for which he is best known today. A fountain of art folklore, Graham offers recollections of friends and colleagues, art work and influences, providing an invaluable insight not only into the New York art scene of the 60s and 70s, but also one of its most influential representatives.

In this lively, rhyming picture book, twins Dell and Pete face a series of humorous choices that test their ability to stay strong in the face of temptation. It’s hard for some kids to wait for something that they really want! A marshmallow now or ice cream later? Includes a Note to Parents and Caregivers that explores techniques to help kids build impulse control and learn to delay gratification.