Dieter Roth

More about the book

Sculptor, poet, and musician, Dieter Roth is celebrated as an artist's artist, known for his innovative approach to art. He sought to disrupt conventional education by creating systems that embraced inconsistency and spontaneity. His work featured unconventional materials like grease stains, mold, insect borings, and rotting food, chosen for their textural qualities and ability to make time visible. Roth famously stated, "More is better," and his prolific output reflected this philosophy. He viewed everything around him as potential art, from his sketchpad to his kitchen, which was later sold to a museum. This publication showcases approximately 260 drawings from Roth's renowned "Copy Books," meticulously preserved in his archive, spanning the years 1977 to 1998. Born in 1930 in Hanover, Germany, to a Swiss father and German mother, Roth was sent to Switzerland to escape Nazi Germany. He trained in graphic design in Bern, where he developed an interest in avant-garde design and poetry. Averse to routine, he frequently relocated, adopting various identities based on his birth name, Karl Dieter Roth. He lived in diverse cities, including Reykjavik, London, Basel, Hamburg, and Providence, Rhode Island, before his death in 1998. This publication is produced in collaboration with the Dieter Roth Estate and Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich, and was awarded in the "Most Beautiful Swiss Books 2007" competition.