Germano Celant's Posthumous Book on New York's Pivotal Art Years
Germano Celant's final book, "New York 1962-1964" (Skira, 2022), examines two transformative years in Western art. The volume opens with the 1962 "New Realists" exhibition at Sidney Janis Gallery and culminates with Robert Rauschenberg's controversial Grand Prize for Painting at the 1964 Venice Biennale, a win many attributed to CIA or State Department conspiracy. Celant, who died of COVID-19 in 2020, structured the book as a monthly diary, with a chronology by Sam Sackeroff of the Jewish Museum, which currently hosts a related exhibition. The book includes interviews with Christo and Jim Dine, and features photography by Ugo Mulas and Bruce Davidson, capturing social change like a segregated bar scene. The layout mimics 1960s magazines Life and Look, reflecting the era's cultural shifts in music, cinema, and politics, including JFK's assassination.
Key facts
- Book titled 'New York 1962-1964' by Germano Celant, published by Skira in 2022
- Covers art from 1962 to 1964, starting with 'New Realists' at Sidney Janis Gallery
- Highlights Robert Rauschenberg's 1964 Venice Biennale Grand Prize, mired in conspiracy theories
- Celant died in 2020 from COVID-19; this was his last fully conceived book
- Chronology curated by Sam Sackeroff, Lerman-Neubauer Associate Curator at Jewish Museum
- Jewish Museum in New York currently hosts an exhibition on the same theme
- Includes interviews with Christo and Jim Dine
- Photography by Ugo Mulas and Bruce Davidson, among others
- Layout inspired by Life and Look magazines
- Context includes JFK's 1963 assassination and social changes
Entities
Artists
- Germano Celant
- Robert Rauschenberg
- Christo
- Jim Dine
- Ugo Mulas
- Bruce Davidson
- Jasper Johns
- Faith Ringgold
Institutions
- Skira
- Sidney Janis Gallery
- Venice Biennale
- Jewish Museum
- CIA
- U.S. Department of State
- Glenstone Museum
- ACA Galleries
- Artribune
Locations
- New York
- Venice
- Italy
- United States
- Potomac
- Maryland