Joan Jonas: The Shape, the Scent, the Feel of Things: Fifteenth Anniversary Edition

A 15th-anniversary edition of Jonas’ landmark monograph documenting her performance response to Aby Warburg

Reissued for the 15th anniversary of this volume and during Joan Jonas’ (born 1936) first major US museum show in 15 years, this catalog documents the deep, immersive performance The Shape, the Scent, the Feel of Things, originally commissioned by Dia Art Foundation and responding to German art historian Aby Warburg’s essay on his visit to the American Southwest. The book includes a statement from the artist, scene-by-scene descriptions with photos, a conversation between Joan Jonas and Jason Moran (who composed music for the performance) and an essay by Lynne Cooke, a senior curator at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, and former curator at Dia. With a new reflection from the artist looking back on this groundbreaking performance, the anniversary edition is a tangible manifestation of the ongoing significance of Jonas’ work.