James Coleman (english)

Catalogue of the exhibition in Reina Sofía Museum. April 25 - August 27, 2012.

This catalogue relates the first great retrospective dedicated to Coleman’s extensive and recognised trajectory, gathering a great collection of works that include pieces from the 70s to the present. It includes his initial pieces, made in Milan in the 70s, his trilogy from the 90s composed by Background, Lapsus Exposure and INITIALS, and other crucial pieces like Charon (MIT Project), Fly Box, Clara and Dario, Untitled: Philippe VACHER and Retake with Evidence, presented at the Documenta 12.

The work of James Coleman (Ireland, 1941) proposes a reflection on the construction and experience of reality and explores questions relating to perception, representation, memory and identity. Through his use of audiovisual media, Coleman situates the subject at the centre of his work inviting the viewer to consider how interpretation shapes our understanding of what we see. The “photographic” (still and moving image) plays an essential role in these investigations, which are articulated and accompanied by a certain poetic hermeticism and meticulous use of language.
Authors: Manuel J. Borja-Billel, Rachel Haidu, Rebecca Comay, Michael Newman, Georges Didi-Huberman, Benjamin H.D.Buchloh