CHARLES RAY
three lectures at the Menil Collection
In 2015 the Menil Collection in Houston invited Charles Ray to deliver a series of slide lectures. Each was focused on a different facet of the medium, and together they cover the full range of art history, from ancient Greek bronzes to works by modern artists like Anthony Caro and Claes Oldenburg. Ray’s approach to the subject is unorthodox, harnessing his formal and conceptual insight to draw startling new connections.
Designed by Silvia Gaspardo Moro in close collaboration with the artist, Charles Ray: three lectures at the Menil Collection reproduces the three lectures in their entirety. Extensive photo illustrations, many shot by the artist himself, run parallel to the text, and all three volumes are presented in a foil-stamped slipcase. The result is a unique hybrid — part artist’s book, part art-historical survey — and a radical new perspective on sculpture.