Viennese Actionism, Vienna, 1960-1971: The Shattered Mirror
Viennese Actionism, Vienna, 1960-1971: The Shattered Mirror
“Viennese Actionism, Vienna, 1960-1971: The Shattered Mirror” (ISBN: 9783854150626) is a landmark bilingual art publication that serves as an essential historical record of one of the 20th century’s most radical, transgressive avant-garde movements. Published by Ritter Verlag, this 392-page volume stands as the second half of a definitive two-part comprehensive survey on the movement.
Product Overview
This volume focuses intensely on the height and aftermath of Viennese Actionism (Wiener Aktionismus), tracking how artists shifted away from the boundaries of traditional painting into direct, visceral body art and performance. It captures a brutal, cathartic rebellion against postwar Austria’s rigid social conservatism, bourgeois conventions, and deep-seated Catholic taboos.
The book is meticulously curated and features a wealth of archival content, making it an invaluable resource for art historians, collectors, and students of performance art.
Key Features
- The Core Four Artists: Provides deep biographical insights and chronologies for the movement’s primary pioneers: Günter Brus, Otto Mühl, Hermann Nitsch, and Rudolf Schwarzkogler.
- Expert Critical Commentary: Features definitive, thought-provoking essays including “The Dramaturgy of the Organic” and “The Shattered Mirror” by renowned art historian Hubert Klocker, alongside analysis by Konrad Oberhuber.
- Bilingual Documentation: Presented with parallel text in both German and English, making the highly specialized manifestos and histories accessible to a global audience.
- Visual Chronology: Packed with rare black-and-white and color plates that serve as a photographic testament to the raw, scandalous, and ritualistic live actions performed between 1960 and 1971.
- Exhibition History: Originally produced in conjunction with major historic exhibitions held at the Graphische Sammlung Albertina in Vienna and the Museum Ludwig in Cologne.
Book Specifications
- ISBN-13: 978-3854150626
- ISBN-10: 3854150628
- Publisher: Ritter Verlag (Klagenfurt)
- Publication Date: January 1, 1989
- Format: Softcover / Paperback with Dust Jacket
- Page Count: 392 pages
- Language: German and English
Condition: As new in french fold wraps. [3.5]
$ 175.00
