What Else Could It Mean? A Book Surveys the Playful, Iconoclastic Works of James Wines

James Wines, a celebrated artist and architect, is renowned for his playful and iconoclastic approach to design. The founder of SITE (Sculpture in the Environment), established in 1970, Wines' studio is a powerhouse of commercial construction, urban infrastructure, and public art. Despite his love for challenging conventions, Wines' work is not without a sense of humor. His ethos, encapsulated in the question "What else could it mean?" serves as a guiding principle for his projects.

Wines' work gained significant attention with the BEST Notch Showroom, a project commissioned by the Best Products Company. The unconventional structures designed for the showrooms, such as the one that appeared to sink into the ground at an angle and another that split open, were a testament to Wines' ability to blur the lines between art and architecture.

His designs also included "Ghost Parking Lot," an enormous, immovable public art project buried under asphalt in Hamden, Connecticut, symbolizing endless consumption and urban sprawl.

The book "What Else Could It Mean?" showcases Wines' decade-long journey, presenting his drawings, renderings, and writings alongside archival photos of realized projects. The book is a testament to Wines' commitment to democratic art and architecture, challenging the accessibility of these fields and advocating for a more participatory approach to collective life.

The projects featured in the book, often ironic but never cynical, are a celebration of 'junk-culture' found in commercial strips and suburban sprawl. "What Else Could It Mean?" is available on Bookshop and can also be explored on SITE's website.