ART: Richard Prince

 In Events

The American artist, and pioneer of ‘appropriation art’, is presenting two shows in Paris this spring: ‘American Prayer’ at the national library BNF François Mitterand, opening today, is the artist’s first major monographic exhibition in Paris, and presents American literature, ephemera and artworks from Prince’s personal collection. And tomorrow, ‘a homage to an artist I really like’, ‘Richard Prince: de Kooning’ opens at Gagosian (30 Mar-21 May). The BNF show takes its title from a poem by Jim Morrison, and focuses on an aspect of Prince’s personality never presented before. Prince is a passionate booklover and a collector of American pop culture and countercultures from the 50s to the 80s. This artistic movement has inspired his work as a photographer and painter. Paintings, drawings, photographs, artists’ books, manuscripts and objects illustrate the artist’s personal universe between high and low culture, between America and Europe. The exhibition ends with a reading room which walls have been covered with fake books conceived by Richard Prince and rare books and manuscripts by Rimbaud, Céline, Cocteau and Genet, European underground magazines and popular books, selected among BnF’s collections. Influenced by his musical inheritance –  Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Bob Dylan and the Velvet Underground – and to his collaboration with the designer David Adjaye, Richard Prince portrays an American continent scoffing at its myths.
Until 26 June. Tue-Sat, 10am-7pm; Sun 1-7pm. Closed Mon.
BNF François Mitterand, Quai François-Mauriac, 13th. www.bnf.fr/

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