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Remainders: Novel, Sculpture, Film

A work made of a multiple consisting of 128 books, 5 packing cartons, 1 table and 1 bookmark.

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  • A work made of a multiple consisting of 128 books, 5 packing cartons, 1 table and 1 bookmark.

Date:

1991

Artist:

Allen Ruppersberg
American, born 1944

About this artwork

Interested in notions of collection and consumption, Allen Ruppersberg reconsiders texts, songs, narratives, photographs, and memorabilia culled from American vernacular culture. Remainders: Novel, Sculpture, Film is an installation that mimics a publisher’s remainders display in a bookstore. The artist manipulated the presentation in provocative ways: inserting fictional titles and authors onto book covers; printing the back covers and inside jacket flaps of each book with the entire screenplay of a 1960s educational film that warns of the dangers of hallucinogenic drugs; and inserting into each book a series of full-page, black-and-white stills from the artist’s film archive. Installed in a museum setting, the texts become a sculptural work that is seen instead of read.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Contemporary Art

Artist

Allen Rawson Ruppersberg

Title

Remainders: Novel, Sculpture, Film

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1991

Medium

A multiple consisting of 128 books, 5 packing cartons, 1 table and 1 bookmark

Edition

from an edition of 12, plus 4 artist’s proofs

Dimensions

114.3 × 121.9 × 76.2 cm (45 × 48 × 30 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Lannan Foundation

Reference Number

1997.152

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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