{"id":1974472,"date":"2026-06-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1974472"},"modified":"2026-06-05T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T21:00:00","slug":"tavares-strachans-first-monograph-surveys-an-encyclopedic-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1974472","title":{"rendered":"Tavares Strachan\u2019s First Monograph Surveys an Encyclopedic Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1171\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/strachan-3.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"an open book spread with a grassy installation surrounding a figurative sculpture with neon text around the room\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">All artworks \u00a9 Tavares Strachan, images courtesy of Phaidon, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Tavares Strachan\u2019s First Monograph Surveys an Encyclopedic Practice<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-06-05T13:18:03-05:00\">June 5, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><a class=\"category-books\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/books\/\" rel=\"tag\">Books<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/gebert\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Grace Ebert<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F06%2Ftavares-strachan-monograph-book-phaidon%2F&amp;title=Tavares%20Strachan%27s%20First%20Monograph%20Surveys%20an%20Encyclopedic%20Practice\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#1d226e687f77787e6920497c6b7c6f786e382f2d4e696f7c7e757c73382f2a6e382f2d5b746f6e69382f2d507273727a6f7c6d75382f2d4e686f6b78646e382f2d7c73382f2d58737e647e71726d7879747e382f2d4d6f7c7e69747e783b7c706d267f72796420497c6b7c6f786e382f2d4e696f7c7e757c73382f2a6e382f2d5b746f6e69382f2d507273727a6f7c6d75382f2d4e686f6b78646e382f2d7c73382f2d58737e647e71726d7879747e382f2d4d6f7c7e69747e78382f2d38582f38252d382429382f2d7569696d6e382e5c382f5b382f5b6a6a6a336975746e746e7e7271726e6e7c71337e7270382f5b2f2d2f2b382f5b2d2b382f5b697c6b7c6f786e306e696f7c7e757c7330707273727a6f7c6d75307f727276306d757c74797273382f5b\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"474788\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/isolatedlabs.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tavares Strachan<\/a> is an artist whose interests, references, and approaches to making stretch so broadly, it\u2019s not surprising that one of his more well-known works is an encyclopedia. Created in 2018, the 2,400-page volume contains 15,000 entries on individuals, events, places, and more that are critical to understanding our shared history, and yet were omitted from the\u00a0<em>Encyclopedia Britannica<\/em>. This inverse book-cum-sculpture is one of many pieces within Strachan\u2019s oeuvre that question the narratives we collectively disseminate.<\/p>\n<p>Born in Nassau, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/tavares-strachan\/\">the Bahamian artist<\/a> is one of the leading conceptual artists working today, and his first monograph, out this month from Phaidon, peers into decades of his expansive practice.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/strachan-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474788\" title=\"\u201cEvery Tongue Shall Confess\u201d (2023), oil, enamel, pigment, and acrylic on two panels, 213 x 213 centimeters\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cEvery Tongue Shall Confess\u201d (2023), oil, enamel, pigment, and acrylic on two panels, 213 x 213 centimeters\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cEvery Tongue Shall Confess\u201d (2023), oil, enamel, pigment, and acrylic on two panels, 213 x 213 centimeters\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1711\" height=\"1716\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/strachan-2.jpg\" alt=\"a collage with images of owls, crosswords, jet magazine, queen elizabeth and more\" class=\"wp-image-474790\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cEvery Tongue Shall Confess\u201d (2023), oil, enamel, pigment, and acrylic on two panels, 213 x 213 centimeters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While much of Strachan\u2019s work considers colonialism and historical erasure, the artist is deeply rooted in the present and future. Our changing climate and the push for space exploration figure prominently and even sparked the scientific research platform, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basecofficial.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bahamas Aerospace and Sea Exploration Center<\/a> (BASEC), which Strachan founded in 2018. That project launched a 3U satellite into space for a three-year orbit around the sun that same year, which shared the story of Robert Henry Lawrence Jr., the first African-American astronaut within any national space program.<\/p>\n<p>The book\u2019s release coincides with Strachan\u2019s exhibition <em>The Day Tomorrow Began<\/em> at The Pizzuti, part of the Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio, which runs through January 3. In true Strachan fashion, creating the monograph goes beyond simply gathering the various projects and shows within his practice. \u201cWhen you make a book, you are participating in this very long historic lineage of bookmaking and sharing information,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DYUutdeuawa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">he says<\/a>, adding that there\u2019s a strong spiritual connection between presenting work in person and on the page.<\/p>\n<p>Get your copy from the <a href=\"https:\/\/colossal.shop\/collections\/books\/products\/tavares-strachan-pre-order\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Colossal Shop<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/strachan-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474788\" title=\"\u201cIn Praise of Midnight (Christophe \u00d7 Napoleon)\u201d (2025), resin and steel, 485 x 345 x 155 centimeters\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cIn Praise of Midnight (Christophe \u00d7 Napoleon)\u201d (2025), resin and steel, 485 x 345 x 155 centimeters\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cIn Praise of Midnight (Christophe \u00d7 Napoleon)\u201d (2025), resin and steel, 485 x 345 x 155 centimeters\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2343\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/strachan-5.jpg\" alt=\"a black titled sculpture of a person riding a horse with a mirrored scene upside down\" class=\"wp-image-474793\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cIn Praise of Midnight (Christophe \u00d7 Napoleon)\u201d (2025), resin and steel, 485 x 345 x 155 centimeters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/strachan-7.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474788\" title=\"\u201cThe Barber Shop\u201d (2025), performance, installation, dimensions variable. Installation view at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cThe Barber Shop\u201d (2025), performance, installation, dimensions variable. Installation view at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cThe Barber Shop\u201d (2025), performance, installation, dimensions variable. Installation view at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1317\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/strachan-7.jpg\" alt=\"an installation in a dark room of a barber shop\" class=\"wp-image-474795\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cThe Barber Shop\u201d (2025), performance, installation, dimensions variable. Installation view at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/strachan-8.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474788\" title=\"\u201cBlack Star\u201d (2024), aluminum, fiberglass, steel, painted wood, 543 x 1210 x 200 centimeters. Installation view at Hayward Gallery, London\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cBlack Star\u201d (2024), aluminum, fiberglass, steel, painted wood, 543 x 1210 x 200 centimeters. Installation view at Hayward Gallery, London\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cBlack Star\u201d (2024), aluminum, fiberglass, steel, painted wood, 543 x 1210 x 200 centimeters. Installation view at Hayward Gallery, London\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1731\" height=\"1030\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/strachan-8.jpg\" alt=\"a ship with a black star on it\" class=\"wp-image-474796\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cBlack Star\u201d (2024), aluminum, fiberglass, steel, painted wood, 543 x 1210 x 200 centimeters. Installation view at Hayward Gallery, London<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/strachan-4.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474788\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1155\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/strachan-4.jpg\" alt=\"an aerial view of the artist&apos;s studio\" class=\"wp-image-474792\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/strachan-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474788\" title=\"Tavares Strachan, Isolated Labs, New York, 2025. Photo by Jason Schmidt\" data-rl_title=\"Tavares Strachan, Isolated Labs, New York, 2025. Photo by Jason Schmidt\" data-rl_caption=\"Tavares Strachan, Isolated Labs, New York, 2025. Photo by Jason Schmidt\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1972\" height=\"1130\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/strachan-1.jpg\" alt=\"a photo of the artist in his studio\" class=\"wp-image-474789\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tavares Strachan, Isolated Labs, New York, 2025. Photo by Jason Schmidt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/strachan-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474788\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1460\" height=\"1682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/strachan-6.jpg\" alt=\"the cover of Tavares Strachan&apos;s monograph\" class=\"wp-image-474794\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section 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