Conversation

One day I went to interview Dan Graham about the legendary John Daniels Gallery in New York, which he ran from 1964 to ‘65. Right after I arrived, Dan started talking to me about Michel Butor and his fascination with the writer’s work back in the 1960s. I merely asked: And did you ever meet him? Dan answered: No. Some people wanted to introduce us, but it never happened. I asked: And would you like to meet him? And he said, with his very own smile: Of course I would.

–From the editor’s preface

In the fall of 2013, Dan Graham and Mieko Meguro traveled with Donatien Grau to a town in the French Alps to meet Michel Butor, one of the foremost innovators of postwar literature. This is their conversation.

Michel Butor is a writer. He redefined the genre of the novel, notably with Second Thoughts (1957), further developing new forms with Mobile (1962) and other fundamental works.

Dan Graham is an artist. A major retrospective of his work was held in 2009 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Whitney Museum, New York; and Walker Art Center, Minneapolis.