Ian Bunn | Political & Popular Culture Arts

Lawrence Weiner the 70 year old Conceptual Artist whose work often takes the form of typographic texts, has been profiled by Louisa Buck for an article in The Art Newspaper titled ‘Lawrence Weiner: man of his word’. Buck states “For nearly half a century, the texts of Lawrence Weiner have been painted on the walls of cities and public buildings from Halifax to Hong Kong and galleries from Beijing to Mexico City. They have been spelled out in cobblestones, printed on beer mats, cast into iron manhole covers, floated inside souvenir Biros and sung as lyrics by a country and western band. Rendered in a utilitarian yet elegant typeface that is instantly recognisable, his cryptic but suggestive phrases operate simultaneously on several levels, whether spatial, poetic or political. …These constructions of what Weiner calls “Language + materials referred to” …Or, more specifically, a sculptor who works with words. “I never quite understand why the shit hits the fan when sculpture is presented within the form of language,” he says. “The use of language is the same as the change to being able to use acrylic or light to make things—it’s not exotic.” Weiner may not make objects per se, but he is adamant that the stuff of the world is always at the centre of everything he does. He defines his art as “the relationship of human beings to objects and objects to objects in relation to human beings”, and insists that “art is essentially a sensual relationship between materials and objects”.”

Inspired by Louisa Buck ow.ly/fKexX image source WeareBuild ow.ly/fKeuW