Joseph Havel

Joseph Havel likes the physical facts of sculpture. Dispensing with the glut of imagery from various media in the world, Havel chooses images and shapes from his own life – not narrative, per se – as a way to organise the formal elements of his sculptural works. In Havel’s sculptures, objects such as buttons, shirt labels, shirts and bed sheets appear as a means to make his works accessible to a broader audience. He uses sculpture as the most recognisable sign of art while introducing installation elements that reflect a new artistic thought. His work is primarily concerned with how the information associated with his various objects and materials affects the individual in contemporary culture. Havel is interested in how people define sculpture, and in how three-dimensional information is constructed and manifested publicly. This richly illustrated book serves as the first major scholarly assessment of Havel’s career and places his work in the broader context of contemporary art.