“The end of art is not the end.” as Ad Reinhardt once said.

The book by Stefan Sulzer tells the story of a visit by the author’s mother to the Dia Art Foundation in Beacon, NY, to see Ryman’s white paintings on display. Once there, the mother felt so offended by the elegant, simplicity of Ryman’s paintings, that she slowly, but in a focused manner let her hand slide across one of the paintings. Stefan Sulzer combines this story with statements and information about Ryman’s work to create a selective and poetic narration of the analytic and emotional reception of art.

The design of the book borrows strategies imployed by Ryman in his own work. The excessive use of white space builds a subtle and hermetic object, which is connected to a statement from within the text, “Mallarmé talked about the white of the page as a void that gives relief from the intensity signified by the blackness of print.”
The first 17 copies are published as a special edition, numbered, signed and touched by the mother.

“This is undoubtedly an artist book – but certainly not one only about art. I’d rather call it poetic and political. I read it thoroughly from front to back: I recommend you also give yourself a chance to let its pure, radical concept unfold.”

— Christian Schwarm, Independent Collectors

„The end of art is not the end.“ wie Ad Reinhardt einmal sagte.

Das Künstlerbuch von Stefan Sulzer mit dem Titel The Day my Mother Touched Robert Ryman erzählt von einem Besuch der Dia Art Foundation in Beacon NY, bei welchem sich die Mutter des Künstlers so durch die elegante Einfachheit eines Ryman Bildes dupiert sah, dass sie in langsam und konzentrierter Art mit ihrer Hand darüber fuhr. Stefan Sulzer verwebt diese Rahmenhandlung mit Statements zum Werk von Robert Ryman und erzeugt dadurch eine pointierte und poetische Erzählung über analytische und emotionale Rezeption von Kunst.

Die Gestaltung des Künstlerbuchs entlehnt Strategien von Ryman: Durch den exzessiven Umgang mit Weißraum entsteht ein subtiles und hermetisches Objekt, passend zu einem Statement aus dem Text: „Mallarmé talked about the white of the page as a void that gives relief from the intensity signified by the blackness of print.“
Die ersten 17 Exemplare erscheinen als Sonderedition, nummeriert, signiert und von der Mutter berührt.

„This is undoubtedly an artist book – but certainly not one only about art. I’d rather call it poetic and political. I read it thoroughly from front to back: I recommend you also give yourself a chance to let its pure, radical concept unfold.“

— Christian Schwarm, Independent Collectors