Models and Prototypes

Draws on the works of modernist pioneers and contemporary figures alike to explore how artists in a variety of media have redefined artistic practice by expanding the use of the model as a new visual force. This book illuminates the centrality of models in contemporary art, asking why they remain so compelling as both tools and subjects.

Artists and architects have long used sketches, notes, and sculptural models to explore or test new ideas and designs. But in the twentieth century, as Western art moved away from straightforward depictions of the natural world, models and prototypes began to evolve from preparatory steps in the creative process to, increasingly, autonomous artworks. "Models and Prototypes", the companion publication to the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum exhibition of the same name, draws on the works of modernist pioneers and major contemporary figures alike to explore how artists in a variety of media have redefined artistic practice by expanding the use of the model as a new visual force. Lavishly illustrated with dozens of pieces by such luminaries as Kandinsky, Duchamp, Joseph Beuys, Thomas Demand, and Jenny Holzer, "Models and Prototypes" also features a fascinating essay by curator Catharina Manchanda. Ultimately, this first volume in the museum's collection-based "Focus" series illuminates the centrality of models in contemporary art, asking why they remain so compelling as both tools and subjects.