Richard Serra Books

This book documents the creation of Richard Serra's sculpture "La Mormaire," from the first steps at the steel foundry to final installation in the park of the chateau La Mormaire near Paris.

In this volume, four distinct works by the important American sculptor Richard Serra are linked by a common each is based on the relationship between the viewer and a horizontal or planar elevation on eye level. Elevations, Repetitions is a complex of 16 elements of different heights; Equal Weights and Measures is composed of six equal blocks of forged steel, rotated such that it's difficult to confirm that sameness. No Relief consists of two 60-foot, six-inch-thick horizontal slabs flush to the wall on opposite sides of a narrow room, compressing the elongated space. And Round is a forged steel work with a diameter of 84 inches and a weight of 50 tons, set on an unnerving slope. Serra's other recent projects include an eight-part permanent installation at the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao and a Spring 2007 survey at The Museum of Modern Art.

Richard Serra's work explores form and matter through his iconic steel sculptures and abstract drawings. His unique use of black paintstick conveys optical weight, mirroring the physical presence of his sculptures. The 2022 exhibition at David Zwirner Gallery showcased his largest forged round and inky drawings, inviting personal engagement with his art.

The rhythm of the body moving through space has been the motivating source of most of my work.--Richard Serra

A half-century of adventures in printmaking, from screen prints to etchings, by the great virtuoso of monumental sculpture Richard Serra (born 1938) began making prints as early as 1972. For the past five decades he has consistently pursued the myriad possibilities of printmaking and created a graphic oeuvre as concentrated as it is rich and diverse. Even if the relationship between Serra's prints and his sculptural works cannot be denied--the exploration of form, establishing and testing the tension between positive and negative space, the dialogue between two- and three-dimensionality--the prints are an autonomous form of expression with their own themes and creative approaches, such as his innovative use of oil-stick ink to create a surface that both absorbs and reflects light. This catalogue raisonné offers a complete survey of 50 years of Serra's graphic work--including lithographs, screen prints and etchings--and situates it in the broader context of his artistic practice.

Published on the occasion of “Richard Serra: Drawings 2015–2017; Rambles, Composites, Rotterdam Verticals, Rotterdam Horizontals, Rifts” at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, this catalogue is an in-depth look at the artist’s recent drawing practice. The exhibition encompasses more than 70 works from five different series, “Rambles,” “Composites,” “Rifts,” “Rotterdam Horizontals,” and “Rotterdam Verticals,” many of which have never been seen before publicly, as well as a selection of his notebooks and films. Examining the ways properties inherent to sculpture are brought onto paper, the drawings are epistemological adjuncts to Serra’s lifelong sculptural explorations. Designed by McCall Associates in close collaboration with the artist, Drawings 2015–2017 features new scholarship by art historian Neil Cox and exhibition curator Francesco Stocchi, a chronology of the drawings by curator Michelle White, as well as a historical text by Albert Camus selected by Serra. This book introduces readers to Serra’s most recent series and reaffirms his innovation and contribution to the practice of drawing. Co-published with Gagosian Gallery

Widely regarded as one of the most influential American artists today, Richard Serra is celebrated for his large steel sculptures, which explore weight, balance, density, and scale, and their impact on the viewer’s spatial perception. His relentless inquiry into these themes has enriched our understanding of sculpture's relationship with space and broadened the genre's scope. This catalogue, published alongside Serra’s 2015 exhibition “Equal” at David Zwirner in New York, offers the first comprehensive overview of his forged steel works. Serra, already recognized for his creations in vulcanized rubber, lead, and steel, began using forged steel after discovering a large forge at a German steel mill in 1977. Unlike casting, which involves melting steel and pouring it into molds, forging reshapes solid metal through extreme heat and pressure. His inaugural forged sculpture, Berlin Block (For Charlie Chaplin) (1977), marked the beginning of his exploration with this medium. This book compiles over forty detailed plates of his forged works, illuminating a crucial aspect of Serra’s artistic practice while revisiting the enduring questions of weight, balance, and perception that define his oeuvre. Co-published with David Zwirner Books, New York.

Renowned American sculptor Richard Serra has amassed an extensive collection of notebooks and sketchbooks throughout his career, now filling a library in his studio. These notebooks contain delicate sketches from his travels, landscapes, architecture, and concepts that evolved into mature sculptures and drawings. Serra has selected ten of his sketchbooks for reproduction in facsimile, including two created in Iceland in 1989 and a recent one from Qatar. The collection features various notable works, such as sketches of Machu Picchu steps from 1972, basalt columns from Svartifoss in 1989, and the Saqqara pyramid from 1990. Other highlights include the Schunnemonk Fork from 1991, Snake Eyes and Boxcars from 1993, and Torqued Ellipses from 2005. The set also includes sketches from the Promenade at Grand Palais in 2008 and the East-West/West-East installation in Qatar from 2014. These ten facsimile books are housed together in a wooden crate, with a limited edition of 1,000 signed and numbered boxed sets available. Each book showcases Serra's artistic journey and creative process, offering a unique glimpse into his world.