Gordon Matta-Clark

Published in 2011 by Afterall Books as part of their 'One Work' series, this volume explores the career of Gordon Matta-Clark, an artist renowned for his transformative architectural interventions and 'anarchitecture.' The series was conceived to provide deep, monographic focus on singular, pivotal artworks, and this entry by Bruce Jenkins specifically examines Matta-Clark’s practice of cutting through buildings to reveal the socio-political narratives embedded in urban structures.

Bruce Jenkins, a scholar noted for his work on avant-garde film and art, provides a critical analysis that situates Matta-Clark's ephemeral projects within the context of 1970s New York. The design and editorial approach of the Afterall series prioritize clarity and archival weight, aiming to preserve the intellectual rigor of these complex installations for contemporary readers. The book received positive attention from art historians and academics for successfully condensing the artist's radical methodology into a concise, accessible study.