Speculations

Info

On each page of this artist’s book by Ken Lum, a small black and white photograph of an individual or group of individuals accompanies a corresponding question or “speculation,” printed in one of eight colours. The questions constitute musing about taste, background, race or a number of other subjects, ranging in tone from the incidental to the philosophical. Lum uses the relation between the text and the image to comment on the nature of personal relations. The theme of the project is the issue of private individuality and the depersonalisation of social relations. The project focuses on the language of speculative communication, that is, unspoken thoughts which may remain internalised and unexpressed and therefore, personal and subjective. Ref.1

Fun for all ages. Conceptual humanist Lum poses rhetorical questions coupled with images of modern life in a Zen-like simplicity. Ponder for one second or for one day. Ref.3

Kenneth Robert Lum (1956 Vancouver) holds dual citizenship in Canada and the United States. He is an artist, an academic, and a curator. Lum's artistic practice spans multiple media including painting, sculpture and photography. His playfully politically oriented works, which range from conceptual to representational, often explore themes of identity linked to language, portraiture, and spatial politics.[2] Since 2012, Lum has taught as a Professor of Fine Art in the Stuart Weitzman School of Design, the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Ref.4 - Extensive biography. Ref. 6

Imschoot Uitgevers In 1987 publishing house Imschoot (Ghent- Belgium) started an exceptional series of artists’ books made by international artists (Giovanni Anselmo, Sol LeWitt, John Baldessari, Lawrence Weiner, Hanne Darboven, Robert Barry, Christian Boltanski, Dan Graham, a.o.). Ref.5
In addition to the regular softcover edition (500 to 1000 copies), a deluxe hardcover edition was also issued in a very limited edition, numbered and signed by the artists.
The publishing house ceased its activities in 2006.

References

• Ref.1: Imschoot, uitgevers Catalogue 1993-1994, Artists’ books
• Ref.2: Imschoot, uitgevers Catalogue 1993-1994, IL-Series, The IL-series is a series of artists’ books brought forth by art historian and curator, Cornelia Lauf. The aim of the series is to provide significant artists with less than ten years exhibition history the opportunity to work in the book form. While artists are selected on the basis of their ability to translate their ideas into an artist’s book, experience with the book-making is not necessary. Rather, the artists are united in their awareness of the rhetorical or media impact of the book form, their sensitivity to type and design issues, and understanding of the narrative potential of the artist’s book.
• Ref.3: Imschoot, uitgevers [2002] Catalogue
• Ref.4: Wikipedia
• Ref.5: Johan Pas (Een essay door -), Het kunstenaarsboek in België: de voorzet tot een geschiedenis., Kunstenpunt
• Ref.6: http://kenlumart.com