With Art in bookform of Lawrence Weiner 1973-2021 Gabriele Detterer delves into her library and her collection of artist’s books, catalogues, posters, exhibition announcements and ephemera created by Lawrence Weiner. The book with its concise cover design made by Lawrence Weiner invites the reader/viewer to participate in the ingenious imagination and determination of one of the leading figures of Conceptual art. He catapulted the printed book as a conveyor for conceptual ideas to a larger audience. .
One motive that prompted Gabriele Detterer to revisit her own collection was the fact that she was moving house and therefore had to pack her books. The act of unpacking reinforced her delight of experiencing the tactile and visual qualities of Lawrence Weiner’s art in bookform.
Embedded in the story of her passion for collecting are the author’s encounters with the artist, which reveal the background to Lawrence Weiner’s bookmaking. The book includes twenty-three photographs by Laura J. Padgett that open and unfold a number of works from the collection.