The publication My Own Personal Bess, an artist’s book by Richard Hawkins is presented on the occasion of the current Forrest Bess exhibition. It is composed of collages, for which Hawkins combined reproductions of paintings by the visionary artist with selected text fragments and advertisements from the article “His Name Was Forrest Bess,” published in 1981 by Texas Monthly magazine. The book empathically approaches both the artistic work and biography of Bess, whom Hawkins discovered in his youth and considers to be a pioneering figure. Today Hawkins’s own work has likewise become an important point of reference for a younger generation of artists. 

The publication My Own Personal Bess, an artist’s book by Richard Hawkins is presented on the occasion of the current Forrest Bess exhibition. It is composed of collages, for which Hawkins combined reproductions of paintings by the visionary artist with selected text fragments and advertisements from the article “His Name Was Forrest Bess,” published in 1981 by Texas Monthly magazine. The book empathically approaches both the artistic work and biography of Bess, whom Hawkins discovered in his youth and considers to be a pioneering figure. Today Hawkins’s own work has likewise become an important point of reference for a younger generation of artists. 

With a text by Ron Nagle and a conversation between Massimiliano Gioni and the artist.

“Years later I rediscovered the photo booth at a novelty shop on 24th Street in San Francisco. I spent a lot of time there, taking dozens of pictures. Simultaneously, I began collecting random postcards from my favorite shop in North Beach. My photo shoots got more involved when I decided to merge the two elements. I would adjust my posture, pose, and attire to best accommodate the postcard. Sometimes it would take a hundred shots to get it right. By carefully selecting the proper combination of sticker and postcard, I was able to make a somewhat convincing tableau. These collages allowed me to insinuate myself into a scene from someone else’s experience.” (Ron Nagle)

The artist’s book is published on the occasion of the exhibitions:

Euphoric Recall
Fridericianum, Kassel
June 6 – September 8, 2019

Ron Nagle
Secession, Vienna
November 23, 2019 – February 9, 2020