Princeton University Art Museum
160 pages | 150 images
American Alliance of Museums, Best In Show, Museum Publications Design Competition, 2014 New Jersey as Non-Site presents the work of fifteen artists who created work in New Jersey between 1950 and 1975. The art includes performances, happenings, site-specific work and ephemera. One example is The Thousand Symphonies: Dick Higgins asked the South Brunswick police to shoot at blank sheet music, which was then played as a score by an orchestra. Process and collaboration were fundamental to the artists represented in this book and to Kelly Baum, the author. Discoveries from Baum’s extensive research are highlighted in her essay. The book also includes a conversation between Baum and five scholars who offer their perspectives on art and New Jersey. The layout of the conversation text creates a visual composition reflecting their interaction. An illustrated timeline incorporates artistic and political developments. The type on the cover is a fluorescent chartreuse that changes color depending on the environment. This is fitting for a book that focus on transitions and process, as are the exposed edges of the extra-thick cover boards. After spending time with the art, as I drove on the New Jersey Turnpike towards Princeton for the design presentation, I appreciated New Jersey’s industrial wastescapes as never before.
