Living by the Rule

This unique and bold publication vividly stages an encounter between medieval and contemporary art with many unexpected resonances sounding between recent works and much earlier objects and texts.

Taking as their focus the Rule of St Benedict, a book written in the sixth century which provided monks with a framework for communal living, Jessica Barker and Ed Krčma invite readers to consider assumptions about contemporary life and how these beliefs might be unsettled by historical models, specifically medieval monastic life. Exploration of the rich material culture of religious communities of the Middle Ages throws up unexpected connections with contemporary art, and a reciprocity emerges, shifting our perspectives on both medieval and contemporary ways of life. Including outstanding artworks such as the Arundel and Gorleston Psalters, and works in a variety of media by celebrated contemporary artists, including Tacita Dean and Andrea Büttner, Living by the Rule makes a compelling case for looking beyond the chronological tracing of art history.

Jessica Barker is Senior Lecturer in Medieval Art History at The Courtauld. Ed Krčma is Associate Professor of Art History at the University of East Anglia. Andrea Büttner is a contemporary artist and has explored a range of mediums including printmaking, drawing and video. She won the Max Mara Art Prize for Women in 2009. Aden Kumler is Professor of Art History at the University of Basel. Elizabeth Price is a contemporary artist working primarily in digital moving image. She won the Turner Prize in 2012.