On Looking at Looking

In this, the first biography on Ian Burn, art historian Ann Stephen traces his extraordinary body of work from the intimate viewpoint of friend and occasional collaborator. Her account is no conventional monograph, as Stephen approaches and presents Burn's work through a series of imaginary and real ""dialogs"" with other artists, inspired by his own collaborations and anecdotes. Through these encounters, she reveals Burn's concerns with marginal art and the relations between amateur and professional, the politics of place and distance, deskilling, and the concept of originality. With more than 160 images, ""On Looking at Looking: The art and politics of Ian Burn"" explores his unique contribution to Australian art as an artist, writer, and curator. Stephen convincingly shows how Burn's work is alive to the most pressing questions facing art and culture today.