Uta Barth (Contemporary Artists)

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Summary: A Revision of Vision: "Uta Barth" by Matthew Higgs (et al)
Review: This splendid monograph on the work of Uta Barth lays out in lavish detail how she deconstructs vision into a series of sensations and effects. She began making pictures of the backgrounds of snapshots, and then photos of the backgrounds of action film stills. Her aim was the periphery of conscious sight, and the results have been dazzlingly effective. She has progressed in this investigation of vision by adding the effects of the passage of time, and investigating the visual collapse that occurs from an extended stare. Her pictures are always rigorously composed and stunningly beautiful, and they are accurately illustrated in this superb book. The essays are smart and insightful, and the interviews are enlightening. Well worth the cost.