ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Catherine Strasser Examines Art as Work in New Book

publication · 2026-04-23

Catherine Strasser's publication "du travail de l'art" (Éditions du Regard) expands upon her earlier journal "le Travail de l'art" (1996–2000), positing that artists engage with labor issues in society through their work. The book comprises seven chapters that explore a range of artistic expressions, from cinema to visual arts, covering the 19th century to the present. It opens with an analysis of Fellini’s portrayal of leisure in "I Vitelloni" and "La Dolce Vita," emphasizing the transition to show business in the 1950s. The second chapter delves into Courbet's "The Painter's Studio" and "The Stone Breakers" (1849), connecting his work to Proudhon's ideas and Comte's positivism. Subsequent chapters feature figures such as Tennessee Williams, Gustave Moreau, and Jannis Kounellis. Catherine Francblin's review praises Strasser's distinctive voice.

Key facts

  • Book title: 'du travail de l'art'
  • Publisher: Éditions du Regard
  • Author: Catherine Strasser
  • Previously directed journal 'le Travail de l'art' (1996–2000)
  • Seven chapters on paradigmatic objects from cinema to contemporary art
  • Discusses Fellini's 'I Vitelloni' and 'La Dolce Vita'
  • Analyzes Courbet's 'The Painter's Studio' and 'The Stone Breakers' (1849, destroyed WWII)
  • References Michael Fried's interpretation of Courbet
  • Courbet influenced by Proudhon and Comte
  • Courbet organized private exhibition in 1855
  • Covers Tennessee Williams, Gustave Moreau, Lea Lublin, Gina Pane, Meret Oppenheim, Roman Opalka, Jannis Kounellis
  • Kounellis exhibited twelve live horses at Galleria l'Attico, Rome, 1969
  • Review by Catherine Francblin in artpress

Entities

Artists

  • Catherine Strasser
  • Fellini
  • Gustave Courbet
  • Michael Fried
  • Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
  • Auguste Comte
  • Tennessee Williams
  • Gustave Moreau
  • Lea Lublin
  • Gina Pane
  • Meret Oppenheim
  • Roman Opalka
  • Jannis Kounellis
  • Orlan
  • Marion Sauvaire
  • Catherine Francblin

Institutions

  • Éditions du Regard
  • Galleria l'Attico
  • artpress

Locations

  • Rome
  • Italy

Sources