Dan Herschlein
Crickets in the City of Spare Parts is Dan Hershlein's first monograph, published in conjunction with their solo exhibition at Matthew Brown. The book combines images of the artist's graphite drawings and a poem to explore themes of alienation, fragmentation, and reinvention of the self. Herschlein’s work has traditionally dealt with the complex performance of identity, often depicted physically as fragmentation of the body. Herschlein incorporates tropes and framing devices used in folktales and horror cinema to emphasize banal elements of the composition such as baseboards, molding, or the texture of the wall. Faces are reduced to shadows, silhouettes, or sacks tied up with strings. Amidst the somber images of collapsing machines and fragmented bodies—those cast-aside aspects of our selves and cultures— the message is ultimately one of optimism, as Herschlein envisions new bodily possibilities and ways of feeling at home within the world.
Artwork and text by Dan Herschlein
Published by Pacific Press: Special Ops, Contemporary Art Library
Hardcover / 9 × 11 ½ inches 188 pages / 2 gatefolds / B2 poster Limited edition of 500
$25
