Book Description

Published on the occasion of the major exhibition of the same title, this catalogue is the first to place the practices of artists Mike Kelley (1954-2012) and Jim Shaw (b. 1952) alongside each other in historical context, approaching their work as parallel visual meditations on Midwestern culture in particular and on American culture more broadly. The catalogue begins with their meeting at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and early collaborations, branching out to present major bodies of work from each artist with a specific interest in tracing the lines of influence as rooted in the vernacular visual cultures of Michigan and the Midwest. Illustrations of the artists' source material, their individual works, and installation views from the exhibition feature prominently throughout the publication, and essays by exhibition co-curators Marc-Olivier Wahler, Carla Acevedo-Yates, and Steven L. Bridges also unpack the many narratives layered in the exhibition, including an interview with Jim Shaw.