Michael Landy and Jean Tinguely: Joyous Machines

Hardcover | 22.4 x 1.5 x 26.6 cm | 144 pp

Tate Publishing | 2010 | 9781854379191

Published to accompany the Tate Liverpool exhibition, this book examines the intriguing relationship between renowned British artist Michael Landy and Jean Tinguely, one of the most subversive sculptors of the 20th Century.

Having seen Tate's 1982 Tinguely retrospective while still a student, Landy has drawn inspiration from the artist for some of his most well known works, including Break Down (2001) during which he destroyed each and every one of his possessions in a public performance.

For many years Landy has been preoccupied by Tinguely's seminal, auto-destructive
sculpture Homage to New York. The book is richly illustrated with works by Tinguely, rarely seen photographs of Homage to New York taken as it unfolded on 17 March
1960, and some of the many H2NY drawings Landy has made in response.

Travelling back in time, Landy contributes an intriguing posthumous in-conversation with Tinguely in which the two artists finally meet and collect junk together on a New York City dump as they discuss their respective endeavours.

Laurence Sillars, Curator at Tate Liverpool, introduces Tinguely's early works, Homage to New York and the impact they have have had upon Landy. A blow-by blow, eye-witness account of Homage written on the night of its destruction by former critic for The New York Times, Dore Ashton brings the event to life.