Thursday, December 3, 2020

Dogan Surek, Manhattan Bus Map (1996) and Bewerbungs unterlagen für wichtige aufgaben (2000)

Manhattan Bus Map, Printed Mayer, Essen, Germany 1996, ed. open

Three couples are depicted with different bus routes coming out of their mouths in a mash of phallic symbols and what appears to be heated discussions. I've been unable to find anything from Durek about his larger practice and this particular work, however he's been very active making artists' books and accordions for quite a while and there are a number of them spread out across this blog. This one leaves me curious about its meaning, and I'm still taking in its rather crude images and overpainting.

6 pages single-sided, individual pages 8.25" (h) x 5.75' (w), when fully open 2ft 10.5".




Bewerbungs unterlagen fur wichtige aufgaben (Application documents for important tasks), Odenthal, Germany, 2000, ed. 100.

An architecturally themed work with depictions of 4 rooms with notations for what is to take place in each part of the space. At the bottom of each page are titles/texts that read: 1. we build your dream home, 2. we are ready for 2100, 3. we offer innovative problems, 4. we are reflexively modern.

Perhaps I'm missing the 'humor' and the point to this work, in which on page 4 Surek has stamped the following "D. Surek Dipl.-ing. Architekt".

6 pages single-sided, individual pages 5.75" (h) x 4" (w) and when fully open 2ft.