Publisher's Synopsis
New York-based Polly Apfelbaum's (born 1955) oeuvre, a mixture of two- and three-dimensional art, is situated at the intersection of painting, sculpture and installation, and often introduces various techniques considered "female"--such as weaving--into the realm of contemporary art. In her new artist's book, Deep Purple, Red Shoes, published on the occasion of her eponymous exhibition at Be-Part in Waregem, Belgium, Apfelbaum combines a modern-day discourse with the tradition of handwoven carpets from a village in Oaxaca, Mexico, where the entire community is involved in carpet making, designing carpets that practically covered her exhibition space. The volume begins with a few enigmatic cut-out pages in bright red, orange and purple, representing the shapes of the Be-Part rugs. These are followed by installation views in black and white, while a series of details in full color unveils the installation bit by bit.
