The focus of Owens’ essay From Work to Frame, or, Is There Life After “The Death of the Author”? is how artistic production finds its conditions for success within a social universe, and therefore is an acknowledgement of conditions related to production and reception while incorporating an understanding of how authorship in artistic work can be realized. The shift goes, as the title announces, from the work to the frame, and at the same time to a determination of those conditions that make works appear as frames.

From Work to Frame was first published in English and Swedish in 1987 in the catalogue for the exhibition Implosion: A Postmodern Perspective at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm. As S*I*G #12, the text is published in English and in its first German translation, alongside a preface by Hannes Loichinger, who is editor of this issue.

Produced on the occasion of Allan McCollum’s exhibition at Lisson Gallery, London, 3 October-2 November, 1985. With a text by Craig Owens.

Anthology of essays on Jack Goldstein’s work (contributions by Hélène Winer, Laurie Anderson, Morgan Fisher, Douglas Crimp, David Salle, Thomas Lawson, Carter Ratcliff, Michael Newman, Jack Goldstein, John Hutton, Craig Owens, Therese Lichtenstein, Jean Fisher, Chris Dercon, Hal Foster, Jack Bankowsky, Rosetta Brooks, Philip Pocock, Bruce Greenville, Lionel Bovier, Fareed Armaly). Published on the occasion of the artist’s exhibition at Le Magasin, Grenoble, from 3 February–28 April, 2002.

Jack Goldstein was one of the most important artists of the 80’s in New York. He returned to California in the 90’s and slowly disappeared from the art world until renewed interest in his work began to happen in 2000. He was in the first graduating class from CalArts and went on to experiment with performance, film, recording, sculpture, and painting. His art of the late seventies, eighties, and early nineties influenced many artists who came after him. He died on 14 March, 2003.