Author Description

Looking back at a career that has spanned four decades, this beautiful volume profiles over 75 projects by Charles Atlas--including works recently exhibited at Tate Modern and the 2012 Whitney Biennial. As one of the first artists to explore the possibilities of video as a genre of expression, and especially through his long-lasting collaboration with Merce Cunningham, Atlas has teamed with numerous dancers and artists to create projects that range from feature-length documentaries to shorter media works, transforming the way performance is viewed by its audiences and the art world. In this inventive publication, Atlas's own commentary accompanies exquisite images that capture the structure and flow of his work in film, video, dance, and performance. The volume also includes interviews between Atlas and a number of writers and collaborators who have played a critical role in the development and reception of his oeuvre, as well as an array of fascinating ephemera from the artist's personal archives. AUTHOR: Stuart Comer is Chief Curator, Department of Media and Performance Art, Museum of Modern Art, New York. Douglas Crimp is Fanny Knapp Allen Professor of Art History, University of Rochester, New York, and the author of many acclaimed books of art criticism. Lia Gangitano is Director of the New York alternative art space Participant Inc. Lucy Sexton works in New York, creating and producing dance, theatre, and film work. 830 colour illustrations