Heartways (The Exploits of Genny O)

Heartways, a collaboration between the Whitney Museum of American Art, Printed Matter, Inc., and Arsenal Pulp Press through its ArsenalAdvance imprint, is a faux romance compilation that deconstructs art, -literature, sex, and desire in one fell swoop. Emulating a “novel,” each chapter is written by a different contributor, all of whom create romantic tableaux that simultaneously work within and outside literary conventions.

Heartways is the turgid, winsome tale of Genny O, a youthful innocent who is fated to everlasting virginity. Despite all efforts to the contrary, each deflowering is her “first time.” With both drama and humor, we encounter Genny O as she tries to find what she is lacking in the arms of her artist object of desire.

Heartways is the brain child of internationally acclaimed artist Rita McBride. Rebellious in conceit and execution, it will take you down the road of love and romance to a place in your heart that you always knew was there. . . .

This book is only the first of a planned four-volume series, each book steeped in a particular genre and making use of a collective structure. Forthcoming titles include Crimeways, Futureways and Myways and include more than 50 different contributions by artists, architects, writers, journalists, curators, and critics.

Contributors include: John Baldessari, Erin Cosgrove, Douglas Coupland, Fabio, Michele Hierholzer, Rita McBride, Jennifer Nelson, Cate Rimmer, Joe Scanlan, Kimberly Sexton, Kathy Slade and Michael Turner.

Rita McBride is a renowned conceptual artist whose work ranges from architectural sculptures to unorthodox book projects. She was the recipient of the Rome Prize, the DAAD Berlin, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and was on a team shortlisted for the World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition.