Lee Lozano: Language Pieces

Lee Lozano's notebook pages become manifestos in this stunning full-scale collection of 46 language pieces, from playful social experiments to the two acts of total withdrawal that defined — and ended — her public life as an artist.

In the late 1960s, Lee Lozano conceived and executed a series of ‘language pieces.’ Written in the pages of her notebooks, they range from lists and instructions to the building blocks for performance, providing the rules and parameters for the actions that would constitute a piece. From offering money to house guests to smoking as much marijuana as possible, Lozano boldly tested social norms, culminating in two of her most famous works: General Strike Piece (1969), which saw her retreat from the art world completely, and Decide to Boycott Women (1971), in which she ceased to engage with all members of her own gender. Lee Lozano: Language Pieces presents 46 of these pieces, beautifully reproducing both handwritten and typed notes at full scale.