Valérie Mavridorakis Publishes Revised Monograph on Fred Sandback's Minimalist Sculptures

Valérie Mavridorakis released an expanded edition of her 1998 essay in February 2019, coinciding with Fred Sandback's exhibition at Galerie Marian Goodman in Paris during September-October 2018. The American artist, who died in 2003, is known for discreet sculptures using threads that adapt to architectural spaces, emphasizing simplicity and austerity. Mavridorakis contextualizes Sandback's work within 1960s American art history and minimalist debates, while drawing on literary references to highlight its richness. The 106-page book, priced at 35 euros, serves as a comprehensive introduction to Sandback's pro-situ approach, which avoids occupying space demonstratively. Sandback's pieces, described as coextensive with their environments, reflect influences from Eastern aesthetics through their consideration of void. The monograph's title references philosopher William of Ockham's principle of simplicity, applicable to both Sandback's art and Mavridorakis's analysis. Published in artpress issue 463, the work allows interpretive freedom, mirroring Sandback's own non-theoretical stance.