American Exuberance

With this volume and its accompanying exhibition, the Rubell Family Collection set out to generate a portrait of what they call “American Exuberance.” The 64 artists selected, all citizens or residents of the United States, are or were particularly keen observers of American culture, economy and politics, regardless of their country of origin. Out of 140 total works, 40 were made in 2011, many specifically for this exhibition. Participating artists include Matthew Barney, Maurizio Cattelan, Felix Gonzáles-Torres, Wade Guyton, Keith Haring, Mike Kelley, Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger, Glenn Ligon, Elizabeth Peyton, Richard Prince, Ryan Trecartin, Andy Warhol and Lisa Yuskavage. A number of the participating artists were asked to comment on the idea of American exuberance for the catalogue. Their responses took many forms, from Nate Lowman’s handwritten missive about Coca Cola to Rashid Johnson’s statement in the form of a personal ad.