The first comprehensive monograph on the British Conceptual artist Bob Law (1934 - 2004), Bob Law: A Retrospective will introduce the artist, his history and his work. Bob Law's artistic career started in the late 1950s when he moved to St.Ives. Inspired by the landscape, these seemingly simple outlines around the perimeter of the paper lead to a minimalist exploration of lines, shapes and forms. Pushing the boundaries, Law went on to make a series of black paintings out of different combinations of dark colours that were exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art Oxford in 1974. Law explained of these and other series: 'I've set myself philosophies which I invent myself.' A prolific artist throughout his lifetime, Law also struggled with ideas surrounding the legitimacy and significance of abstraction. He took up sculpture in the 1970s, which extended and expanded his oeuvre.

This publication brings together the largest group of paintings, drawings and sculpture by Bob Law to date. In addition to 300 images, 6 texts present different moments and themes in Law's work. Anna Lovatt explores the role of drawing throughout; Jo Melvin introduces pivotal exhibitions during the 1960s and 70s; Anthony Bond provides an overview of the work and its relationship to art history and David Batchelor revisits his 1999 essay which describes visual and conceptual themes throughout Law's work. Richard Cork's 1974 interview with Bob Law as well as Giuseppe Panza's recollection of the artists are both reproduced in this volume.