Meleko Mokgosi, Acts of Resistance 1, 2018
Michael Archer: Composition
Writer Michael Archer and artist Steph Farmer came in conversation for the launch of Michael’s book Composition (Ilex, 2023).
Whatever art form you work with, composition is key, and the rules have changed. Discover the new ideas that shape the art we make today. From the invention of photography to the digital revolution, technological and social advances have transformed the way we see the world. This new vision, influenced by changing attitudes not least towards gender roles and the West’s colonial history, is reflected in the art we make.
“Nothing changes from generation to generation except the thing seen and that makes a composition” – Gertrude Stein.
This book discusses the rejection of Western compositional orthodoxy by artists such as Édouard Manet, Vincent van Gogh and Mary Cassatt to the revolutionary practices of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Tania Bruguera, Meleko Mokgosi and many others. Acclaimed art critic and writer Michael Archer reveals the ideas and intentions behind a thrillingly diverse selection of artworks, giving readers a new set of tools for understanding art today.
A copy of the book could be purchased half price at the event.
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BIOGRAPHIES
Michael Archer is an art critic, writer and Professor Emeritus of Art at Goldsmiths University of London. His work has appeared widely in print, including Artforum, Art Monthly, Frieze, Parkett and the Guardian and in numerous catalogues. He is the author of Art Since 1960 and contributed chapters on modern and contemporary art to the book A World History of Art.
Stephanie Farmer is an artist and teacher researching sensory innovation and creativity in the arts. She recently co-curated Ensemble, a group show at APT Deptford which explored Audio Description as a collaborative art form and accessible communication tool, challenging audiences to experience artworks with their minds in an entirely audio-described exhibition of absent physical artworks.
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