Published on the occassion of the exhibition Laura Owens and Vincent Van Gogh (19 June – 31 October 2021), this catalogue brings together the works of Laura Owens in response Vincent van Gogh's last paintings. Throughout most of 2020, Owens lived in and around Arles, working directly with her surroundings and undertaking meticulous research into the history of the city and of Van Gogh’s connections there. Metamorphosing the space, Owens created an extensive painting in the form of a unique hand-painted and silkscreened wallpaper installation, which adorned the rooms in which the Van Gogh works were exhibited.

The motifs in the wallpaper were inspired by designs made by Winifred How, who worked in London as an artist and designer at the beginning of the 20th century  The installation drew a suspended universe between the pre-modern and the contemporary. Co-curated by Bice Curiger (artistic director of the Foundation Vincent van Gogh Arles) and Mark Godfrey (British art historian, critic, and curator), the exhibition shared how Laura Owens explores the images, colours and methods of Van Gogh, creating a conceptual framework for her investigations.