Cai, Guoqiang — Cai Guo-Qiang

New York, Thames & Hudson, 2000. Hardcover. A gray casebound book. There is a dust jacket with the title in white down a sandy color spine. Pages: (7), 8-151, (2). Profusely illustrated with color images, as well as some fold out displays. "Ephemeral and monumental, the work of Cai Guo-Qiang is founded upon an ancient religious and philosophical aesthetic tradition. Borrowing elements from Chinese culture, the artist also makes reference to Western art in the wake of Joseph Beuys, Yves Klein, and the Arte Povera artists. Seeking a working method that would bring him 'a feeling of freedom', Cai Guo-Qiang experimented with various materials, and in 1989 he unveiled a series of drawings rendered in gunpowder, a substance first discovered by Chinese alchemists in search of the elixir of life for the Emperor and yet used subsequently to kill. These drawings, entitled Projects for Extraterrestrials, are among the works published in this book, which accompanies an exhibition at the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain. Also included are the artist's preparatory sketchbooks and gigantic screens, presented here for the first time. VG/VG: Exlibrary book. Sticker on dust jacket at the base of the spine. Stamp on front free end page. Due date card on back pasted end page.