Author Description

"Over the course of the 1970s, John Divola created three compelling bodies of work that together form this publication: Vandalism, LAX NAZ, and Zuma. The Vandalism series comprises black-and-white photographs of the interiors of abandoned houses. After entering illegally, Divola spray painted excessive markings in the form of dots, lines, and grids, creating a series of conceptual gestures that referenced "action painting" as readily as graffiti." "The LAX NAZ (Los Angeles International Airport Noise Abatement Zone) series was created in a condemned neighborhood bought out by the airport to serve as a noise buffer for new runways. Unlike the Vandalism series, where the artist's own intervention is at the crux of the project, here he focused on unsanctioned entries by vandals who had absconded long ago. An extensive catalog of break-ins, the photographs record evidence of violent entries: shattered windows, doors kicked open." "The final project in this book, the Zuma series, is the artist's documentation of the destruction of an abandoned beachfront property. While employing similar strategies of painting and intervention, the Zuma images add variation and complexity to Divola's established themes as they incorporate color and elements of nature. These cyclical images skillfully juxtapose romantic skies and sunsets with a seaside structure that, frame by frame, deteriorates into ruin." "An essay by David Campany examines the relationship between Divola's photographic practice, forensics, and the art world context in which it was created, a period of redefinition for art and photography. An interview by Jan Tumlir with the artist offers further insight into this rich and enigmatic body of work."--BOOK JACKET.