Today we are chatting with Luis Camnitzer, author of
THE VOLUME
Read on for more about Luis, his book, and giveaway!
Meet Luis!
Luis Camnitzer (born 1937) is a German-born Uruguayan artist, curator, art critic and academic who was at the forefront of 1960s Conceptual art. He lives and works in Great Neck, New York, and taught at SUNY Old Westbury, where he is currently a professor emeritus.
Click Here to Visit Luis Website!
Take a look at The Volume
From the dot to the line to infinity: a whimsical children’s book about space and spatiality, with colorful illustrations and a large gatefold that illuminates the story.
One very dark night, a long time ago, there was a big explosion. It was the “Big Bang.” From the “Big Bang,” a dot flew off by itself and began to explore. But all around it was empty space. The dot became lonely, so it split in two, which was fun at first. But then the two dots grew bored of each other, so they began to multiply until they formed something entirely new: a line. The line replicated until it became a surface, and the surface repeated until it became a 3-dimensional shape: the volume. A stray line then pulled off the volume and began to explore shape, color and pattern to create the magic of writing and art.
This whimsical adventure―filled with imaginative text, mind-expanding illustrations and with an impressive double gatefold “to infinity”―takes readers of all ages on a journey through concepts that are the foundation of both art and life.
Author Luis Camnitzer is a celebrated artist known for art that deconstructs accepted frameworks and exposes systems of power. In The Volume, he turns his powers of observation to familiar visual ideas and helps us to see them anew. Filled with beauty and humor, Camnitzer’s first children’s book will enlighten and delight readers of all ages.
Amazon * Artbook * B & N * Indiebound
~Author Chat With Luis Camnitzer~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
From the point of view of the expected, I’ve three grandchildren and this was one way of honoring them and treating them as serious and independent interlocutors bypassing “baby talk” and condescension.
From the unexpected point of view, I just had a kidney stone removed and was chair-bound close to the bathroom. That gave shape to the project.
YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
Probably the title, since it’s the punch line of the project. It seemed a good destination for a non-linear and, for me, unpredictable voyage.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
I’ve been writing for decades. It’s one of my media that help me encounter ideas and refine them when other media don’t work. The Volume helped me listen more intently through the ears of the readers.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
It’s deadpan and non-pandering. It’s actually consistent with my art work.
YABC: What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2022?
I’m waiting for Anil Seth’s Being You: A New Science of Consciousness, though it may come out earlier than 2022.
YABC: What was your favorite book in 2021?
Imbolo Mbue’s How Beautiful We Were.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
I’m working on projects integrating art thinking in other disciplines, one in particular involving me and two long-time colleagues doing pedagogical planning for a “sustainable school” sponsored by an Uruguayan foundation. I’m also preparing an exhibition in my gallery, Alexander Gray Gallery, in New York next year.
YABC: Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?
Drafting is the more creative part because you don’t yet know what you’re doing.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
I actually don’t believe in superpowers, the same as I don’t believe in talent or in grading in general. One is who one is, and the task is to hone the good parts. The concept of superpower downgrades everybody else to “ordinary power” or “subpower.”
The Volume
Author/Illustrator: Luis Camnitzer
Publisher: Gregory R. Miller & Co
Publish Date: August 31, 2021
*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*
One winner will receive a copy of THE VOLUME (US only).
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
The cover speaks “volumes” with its simplicity and this book sounds intriguing.
I’d like to say that I’m glad that this book is for all ages and even if the audience was intended for younger kids, I’d still read it. It’s never too late to read a simple yet intriguing book!
The cover is straightforward and the synopsis is intriguing. The book is on my purchase list for my grandchildren.