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Walter Pfeiffer
Vis-à-vis
Vis-à-vis presents the most extensive cross section of Swiss artist Walter Pfeiffer’s work to date. Assuming the indexical format of the abécédaire, complete with hand-drawn illustrations and a freewheeling glossary written by the artist, this publication unites some of Pfeiffer’s most iconic images with never-before-seen artworks.
These pages provide glimpses into the artist’s relationship to his daily routines, desires, family, and treasured films. Coursing through many of these words and pictures is a sense of desire. Beyond Pfeiffer’s characteristically self-effacing simplicity hovers an exacting and relentless quest for formal perfection in his subjects. The performance of beauty is projected onto people and things that are able to pull it off. This is self-portraiture by proxy.
Five texts by scholars and critics accompany Pfeiffer's photographs, situating him within broader art historical narratives.
Published by Pacific and Swiss Institute, 2024
Hardcover
568 pages
7 ¾ x 11 inches
