The Library Talks with Emiliano Battista
The Library Talks #8 is organised in the framework of the exhibition COPY COPY, currently on view at the Rietveld Pavilion. COPY COPY looks into the parallels between the practices of Dutch artists Daan van Golden (1936) and JCJ Vanderheyden (1928-2012). In both artists practices a personal observation of the world stands central, which is then abstracted into painting. The constant exploration of the relation between painting and photography forms another overlap between the oeuvres.
Emiliano Battista is the editor of the most recent book published about the work of Daan van Golden: “Daan van Golden Photo Book(s). This book is composed of other books and reproduces the photo pages of van Golden’s earlier books, as well as two little known photo essays, in their entirety. The organizing principle of this book takes its logic from recurring components of van Goldens practice: the reproduction of preexisting material, the insistent adherence to a set of core elements, gestures and images, and the conviction that creating different juxtapositions and interactions between those same elements will yield new readings and meaning.
For this Library Talk, Battista discussed the making of Daan van Golden Photo Book(s), and extend this into a more wide-ranging reflection on about books and bookmaking in the world of contemporary art. The evening started with a brief talk by Frank Mandersloot who introduced the work of JCJ Vanderheyden and his relation to bookmaking.