Robert Gober: Sculpture and Drawing

The exhibition catalogue Robert Gober: Sculpture and Drawing was intended to chronicle primarily the drawings of this contemporary artist and includes three critical essays, an extensive interview with the artist, and comprehensive illustrations of the work. The concept and aesthetic evolved out of collaborative discussions between the designer, the curator, and the artist. The book uses a toothy, off-white uncoated paper to highlight the subtle textures and hues of the artist’s drawings, from coffee-stained pen-and-ink drawings on crinkled paper to floral patterns painted on fabric. Using the poetry of Walt Whitman and the films of Alfred Hitchcock, the essay by curator Richard Flood is treated visually as a cinematic journey through the American psyche. Meant to be subdued, informal, yet elegant (a red ribbon is used as a bookmark), the catalogue retains a certain amount of the restrained drama found in Robert Gober’s work. Like the artist’s work, the book expresses an apparent simplicity and classicism that reveals an edgier psychology upon deeper reflection.