Table of Contents

Introduction; Traces; Inscriptions; Contestations; Retracings; Biographical Notes; Bibliography; Index; Acknowledgements.

About the Author

Charles Merewether is an art historian and writer on post-war and contemporary art. He has taught at universities in Mexico, Australia, Europe and North America. From 1994 to 2004 he was Collections Curator at the Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles. He was Artistic Director and Curator for the 2006 Sydney Biennale.

Reviews

"Contemporary art constantly requires the construction of new lineages, new histories, to render it critically intelligible. The idea of the archive is currently at the centre of such activities. This anthology offers an illuminating mix of texts, interlacing analysis with artists' writings ... and a useful antidote to sentimentalizations of the past." - Peter Osborne, Director of the Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy, Middlesex University, and editor of 'Conceptual Art' "The Archive is a collection of pivotal essays on the role of archives in modern art and history... The book's playful design employs pull quotes resembling children's lettering, street-art manifestos or eye exams. One such is from Walter Benjamin's essay: 'A Short History of Photography,' showing the inspirational potential of archival material: 'Utrillo painted his fascinating views of Paris not from life but from picture postcards.'" - Susan Salter Reynolds, Los Angeles Times