Matthew Marks Gallery

“In this remarkable study, Hal Foster, one of the wisest, most precise art-historical thinkers in our midst, brings new definition to Charles Ray’s work, coupling and decoupling image and structure, the classical and the contemporary, among other tropes. At the same time, the author proffers meaningful new insights on Ray’s imposing objects — on their own premises, in relationship to the artist’s peers, past and present, and relative to the canons of his most engaged critics. Foster does not so much clarify the terms of discussion as reorient them. This is an essential read — not only for those considering Ray, but for anyone attempting to determine what can emerge when creativity and philosophy collide.” —James Rondeau