Dieter Roth

Sculptor, poet, pioneer of artist's books, performer, publisher and musician--Dieter Roth (1930-1998) has long been beloved as an artist's artist. Constantly trying to undo his art education, he would set up systems that discouraged the conventional and the consistent: he drew with both hands at once, preserved the discarded and reveled in the transitory. Grease stains, mold formations, insect borings and rotting foodstuffs were just some of the materials used, both out of a fascination with their painterly, textural aspects and for their innate ability to make time visible and play to chance. This oversized, faux-leather-bound book collects some 260 never-before-published drawings from the famous Copy Books group, heretofore hidden away in the late artist's archive. Organized in series, these works span from 1977 to 1998.