Remastered: Fifty-Five Contemporary Artists Revisit Old Masters

Published by  gestalten, 2006, hardcover, illustrated, large format, index, 159 pages, condition: new.

In this book, a new generation of artists and designers defining todays visual deconstruct iconic masterpieces by pre-eminent masters from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through to the 20th century and re-contextualize them to contemporary culture. We have been so extensively exposed to these images that we automatically assign them the mythical status of masterpieces, but rarely look to understand what makes them so unique says Curator Sebastien Agneesens. Agneesens has commissioned over 50 international visual artists to remaster celebrated works from Guernica by Pablo Picasso and Gabrielle dEstree and her Sister by Ecole de Fontainbleau to The Kiss by Gustav Klimt. The transformations by renowned contemporary artists and designers include Kenzo Minami, Vincent Skeltis, Mika Machida, Antoine et Manuel, Insect and more. The result is a collection of reinterpretations infused with energy, expressive imagery, insightful wit and socio-political commentary in a wide variety of styles. Each contemporary image is juxtaposed alongside the original masterpiece on a double-page spread, with comments from both the artists and the curator, lending depth and insight to the interpretations giving readers the opportunity to reencounter the classics.