In this dazzling expeditionary volume, Mark Dion investigates the layered history of the Lone Star State.

"Exhibition catalogue for the work of Mark Dion"--

A comprehensive survey of American artist Mark Dion, examining three decades of his critically engaged practice interrogating our relationship with nature The first book in two decades to consider the entire oeuvre of Mark Dion (b. 1961), this volume examines thirty years of the American artist's pioneering inquiries into how we collect, interpret, and display nature. Part of a generation of artists expanding institutional critique in the 1990s, Dion adopted the methods of the archaeologist or the natural history museum, juxtaposing natural objects, taxidermy, books, and more to reorganize the natural and the manmade in poetic, witty ways. These sculptures, installations, and interventions offer novel approaches to questioning institutional power, which he sees as connected to the control and representation of nature. Generously illustrated, this publication introduces new insights and features more than seventy-five artworks. Essays address topics ranging from Dion's ecological activism to his loving critique of museums. A diverse group of contributors explores his work as a teacher, his public artworks such as Neukom Vivarium in Seattle, and his intricate curiosity cabinets installed throughout the world. They reveal how Dion's practice and formal investigations--which are rooted in history--connect to contemporary questions of disciplinary boundaries and the acquisition of knowledge in the age of the Anthropocene.

Profiles the life and work of a nineteenth century pioneer of photography and offers a selection of her portraits of women

Bill Viola (b. 1951) is one of today's premier video installation artists whose apparently straightforward imagery belies a decades-long investigation into the human imagination and its various states of consciousness. This unique and accessible guide to Viola's work provides new insights into the artist's creative processes by drawing on his own writing, as well as texts that have inspired his creative vision. John G. Hanhardt, an expert on Bill Viola, explores how the artist's work relates to literature, philosophy, poetry, and mysticism. Kira Perov, Viola's wife, artistic collaborator, and the manager of his studio, offers her own intimate insights into his work and studio production. Beautifully illustrated, this book imparts a fresh take on Viola's art, originality, and celebrated creativity. Distributed for the Barnes Foundation Exhibition Schedule: The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia (06/30/19-09/15/19)