Material Meanings

This book features 31 objects from Constance R. Caplan's noted collection of 20th- and 21st-century art, including works in a variety of media by artists such as Hans Arp, Lynda Benglis, Liz Deschenes, Claes Oldenburg, and Cy Twombly. Rather than specialize in one medium, artist, or movement, Caplan has instead assembled paintings, photographs, drawings, sculptures, and examples of decorative art that together capture the full scope of a transformative period in art history. Individual pieces are examined by a diverse group of scholars that includes voices from both the school and the museum of the Art Institute of Chicago, while Yve-Alain Bois provides a historical overview of the collection's genesis, with a particular focus on the dialogue among works from different artistic disciplines.