Taryn Simon: Father Country I Do Love You

This artist’s book premieres a new body of work by artist Taryn Simon (born 1975), the subject of a major exhibition at the Guggenheim New York and the artist’s most expansive and personal project to date. Nearly a decade in the making, Father Country I Do Love You traces the life of an unnamed federal agent through 42 chapters, bringing together hundreds of photographs, text, video, and sculpture. In this labyrinth of stories, Simon uncovers the ripple effects of her protagonist’s actions and inactions, intertwining accounts of victims, predators, survivors, and the mechanics of justice. This narrative is shadowed by the life of Simon’s father, who lived in Thailand and traveled to Russia, Iran, Israel, China, Afghanistan, Korea, and elsewhere while working for the U.S. government before ending his career manufacturing and selling arcade games. Simon never got his full story, but America, he always said, was the best story on earth, if you could find someone to tell it.

Maker

Guggenheim

Materials

Hardcover

Dimensions

8 7/8 × 13 3/16 inches

Period

Contemporary

Category

Books