Artifacts at the end of a Decade

Digital catalog Museum of Contemporary Art, University of Massachusetts

ARTIFACTS AT THE END OF A DECADE is a collaborative work by 44 artists, in an edition of 100 organized by Steven Watson and Carol Huebner Venezia. On its publication in 1981, art critic John Perreault wrote: “This work is an anthology of sorts, but it is also an object in its own right.  It can be compared to artists books, print portfolios, multimedia multiples, etc.  In truth, however, there is little to compare ARTIFACTS within the realm of art.”

A cultural time capsule of the end of the 1970s, it embraces a dizzying diversity of media and materials (from glass and Corten steel to records and photographs). The 44 contributing artists include Laurie Anderson, Robert Wilson, Sol Lewitt and John Ashbery, as well as the graffitist Fab Five Freddy, R. Crumb, and Lucinda Childs. It is in many museum collections (Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan, Philadelphia Museum and others).  A limited number of editions are still available for acquisition.

For its 40th anniversary, Watson created video interviews with contributing artists, describing the pieces and the 1970s cultural zeitgeist.

Presentation

Digital catalog

Artifacts Opening Reception

University Museum of Contemporary Art

The panel at the Museum of Contemporary Art, University of Massachusetts