Sensual Mechanical: The Art of Craig Kauffman
Over the last few years there has been a notable increase in the interest of 1960s Los Angeles artists, specifically those with ties to the renowned Ferus Gallery. Many of whom worked with translucent and transparent materials such as glass, plastic and resin. Craig Kauffman (1932–2010) is an unequivocal pioneer in this generation, and Sensual Mechanical is the definitive book on his work. Kauffman’s paintings of the late 50s and his lozenge-like, vacuum-formed, acrylic wall reliefs of the early 60s were among the very first works to articulate what quickly came to be known as the “Los Angeles sensibility.” Hunter Drohojowska-Philp’s “gorgeously illustrated and highly informative monograph” (Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times) traces the development of his exquisitely luminous paintings and wall reliefs, in which unabashed eroticism coalesce with a keen instinct for architectural execution. With 179 reproductions in color, this elegantly designed publication amalgamates a critical analysis of Kauffman’s art with a detailed biographical component, and is the first comprehensive overview of this important artist’s work.
