thomas hirschhorn • les plaintifs, les betes, les politiques

i pretty much adore everything thomas hirschhorn makes, but i think i might like these collages the most. they are from a body of work he produced in the mid-90s that i've never come across anywhere except in his book les plaintifs, les betes, les politiques (also difficult to find, i snagged mine in a used bookshop in berlin). the rawness and simplicity of hirschhorn's materials are always so great and expressive (he was a graphic designer before he was an artist and i maintain this has a lot to do with his amazing aesthetic). here he glues found ads and newspaper photos onto pieces of rugged cardboard and doodles on them to comment scathingly on politics and consumer culture. holy shit, the pairing of the branch dividian cult photo and a nike ad is completely brilliant and hysterical! see some great photos people have taken of hirschhorn's installation work on flickr. listen to an audio interview with artist on the walker art center's very cool blog here. and see more of his projects at the stephen friedman gallery's website.

[all thomas hirschhorn. untitled. from the book les plaintifs, les betes, les politiques. published by the centre genevois de gravure contemporaine in switzerland. 1995.]