BOOK:Appearance Stripped Bare-Phaidon & Fundación Jumex Arte Contemporáneo

“Appearance Stripped Bare” is the first book to explore two of the biggest names in modern and contemporary art side by side, Marcel Duchamp and Jeff Koons. Marcel Duchamp is a cult figure in the art world, to a large extent because he was responsible for opening many of the channels through which many years later contemporary art would pass. Duchamp thus became the perfect spokesperson for artists and intellectuals who sought–and still do–in his thought and work they keys to understand the complexities of art and culture in general. Many of his ideas return, transformed, in the work of Jeff Koons, born when Duchamp was 68 years old and whose own career lit up the art world of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. This is the first book to explore the affinities between these two highly influential artists, whose creative universes similarly question the function of objects and the allure of commodities. International art historians, writers, and curators contribute their expertise on topics such as each artist’s persona, as well as reflecting on the influence of technology and sexuality on their work. The publication of this book coincided with the exhibition at the Museo Jumex in Mexico City (19/5-29/9/19).-Dimitris Lempesis