[caption id="attachment_1729" align="alignnone" width="399" caption="Primary Atmospheres, L 2 R - Craig Kauffman, Larry Bell, De Wain Valentine"]
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David Zwirner Gallery, Jan 8 -Feb. 6 2010. With Peter Alexander, Larry Bell, Laddie John Dill, Robert Irwin, Craig Kauffman, John McCracken, Helen Pashgian, James Turrell, De Wain Valentine, and Doug Wheeler. Curated by Tim Nye.
It's all plastic fantastic plastic light monolithic and so febrile with air passing through matter passing as light, simply an atom solid vibration bolting down the concentrated escape patterns through which the chaos of that time of those minds had somehow corralled a zen concept with simultaneity, refracting reality breaking through cosmic farce, heading to the base, the base being the alchemy or not logic, the logic the thread is sight the eyes roam over clear matter as cream, slow sensuous fingers stare capture you want to touch gel sublime existing solid stars gleam perfect, and exquisitely delight.
I love this show! (how uncool is that for a start?) When you walk into the gallery it's like walking into a Kubrick set for 2001 A Space Odyssey or Tarkovsky's Solaris. When the work in this show was made, we had Beatniks, The Beach Boys, Hullabaloo, then the Beatles, Civil Rights riots, Miles Davis, LSD, Nixon, the hippies, Black Panthers, the Vietnam War, Woodstock, The Doors, dirt, pachoulie oil, Easy Rider, Hendrix, and then there is this group of L.A. based artists that essentially invented their own brand of minimalism that reflects the light of a California psyche in spite of the insanity of that period. How did they do it? This show is so well curated and full, but it's it's all kind of floaty too.
The use of plastic definitely reflects aerospace tech, surf and hot rod finishes. The use of resin in Peter Alexander, De Wain Valentine, and Helen Pashgian's work demonstrates aesthetic purity and the magic mix of chemistry.
The first thing I saw was the gallery to the right and two pieces by Robert Irwin. the untitled but well-known icon is set just away from the wall, (like the better-known orb with four lights, with the precision shadows) so the orb or disc seems to disappear into the wall,(1969) offset by the simple clear acrylic column, (1970) . Irwin also has his dot painting from '63 another early painting "Crazy Otto" , '62 which is far ahead of its time with it's spare horizontal lines on ochre. Irwin continues to produce challenging work, and is literate in theory. In truth, Mr. Irwin is just plain literate, which explains why he is so influential, and as such, a dominant force because he is so good at talking about art and the ideas generated to other artists. Theory is tiresome, but as the first Francis Bacon said - "By far the proof is experience".
[caption id="attachment_1726" align="aligncenter" width="399" caption="John McCracken, Peter Alexander, John McCracken"]
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The works by De Wain Valentine, Helen Pashgian and Peter Alexander dominate the senses on the front left gallery because they are not seen often here, and are masterworks of perfect simplicity and execution, but not before passing a sand and glass sandwich installation sculpture by Laddie Jon Dill, the edges of the the 12 vertical panels of glass are lit under the sand with argon gas light. No matter where I went in the gallery, I was glued to each piece. Dill's work in those days clearly put the materials in a chemical algorithm as sand is glass. Craig Kauffman and John McCracken are well-shown here in the context of the tribe. They are big game here but it was De Wain that showed McCracken the secret of the perfect resin finish. Doug Wheeler is that one crescendo tremelo. so deep sea or Star Trek, who knows?
That these amazing artists could soak the pure insanity of that time and then produce pure soul work without the acid noise invading is baffling. It all happened in L.A. and as far a I can tell, it's the one show I've seen in a long while that gave me a sense of redemption, joy, and that rarest moment, perfection.
[/caption]
David Zwirner Gallery, Jan 8 -Feb. 6 2010. With Peter Alexander, Larry Bell, Laddie John Dill, Robert Irwin, Craig Kauffman, John McCracken, Helen Pashgian, James Turrell, De Wain Valentine, and Doug Wheeler. Curated by Tim Nye.
It's all plastic fantastic plastic light monolithic and so febrile with air passing through matter passing as light, simply an atom solid vibration bolting down the concentrated escape patterns through which the chaos of that time of those minds had somehow corralled a zen concept with simultaneity, refracting reality breaking through cosmic farce, heading to the base, the base being the alchemy or not logic, the logic the thread is sight the eyes roam over clear matter as cream, slow sensuous fingers stare capture you want to touch gel sublime existing solid stars gleam perfect, and exquisitely delight.
I love this show! (how uncool is that for a start?) When you walk into the gallery it's like walking into a Kubrick set for 2001 A Space Odyssey or Tarkovsky's Solaris. When the work in this show was made, we had Beatniks, The Beach Boys, Hullabaloo, then the Beatles, Civil Rights riots, Miles Davis, LSD, Nixon, the hippies, Black Panthers, the Vietnam War, Woodstock, The Doors, dirt, pachoulie oil, Easy Rider, Hendrix, and then there is this group of L.A. based artists that essentially invented their own brand of minimalism that reflects the light of a California psyche in spite of the insanity of that period. How did they do it? This show is so well curated and full, but it's it's all kind of floaty too.
The use of plastic definitely reflects aerospace tech, surf and hot rod finishes. The use of resin in Peter Alexander, De Wain Valentine, and Helen Pashgian's work demonstrates aesthetic purity and the magic mix of chemistry.
The first thing I saw was the gallery to the right and two pieces by Robert Irwin. the untitled but well-known icon is set just away from the wall, (like the better-known orb with four lights, with the precision shadows) so the orb or disc seems to disappear into the wall,(1969) offset by the simple clear acrylic column, (1970) . Irwin also has his dot painting from '63 another early painting "Crazy Otto" , '62 which is far ahead of its time with it's spare horizontal lines on ochre. Irwin continues to produce challenging work, and is literate in theory. In truth, Mr. Irwin is just plain literate, which explains why he is so influential, and as such, a dominant force because he is so good at talking about art and the ideas generated to other artists. Theory is tiresome, but as the first Francis Bacon said - "By far the proof is experience".
[caption id="attachment_1726" align="aligncenter" width="399" caption="John McCracken, Peter Alexander, John McCracken"]
[/caption]
The works by De Wain Valentine, Helen Pashgian and Peter Alexander dominate the senses on the front left gallery because they are not seen often here, and are masterworks of perfect simplicity and execution, but not before passing a sand and glass sandwich installation sculpture by Laddie Jon Dill, the edges of the the 12 vertical panels of glass are lit under the sand with argon gas light. No matter where I went in the gallery, I was glued to each piece. Dill's work in those days clearly put the materials in a chemical algorithm as sand is glass. Craig Kauffman and John McCracken are well-shown here in the context of the tribe. They are big game here but it was De Wain that showed McCracken the secret of the perfect resin finish. Doug Wheeler is that one crescendo tremelo. so deep sea or Star Trek, who knows?
That these amazing artists could soak the pure insanity of that time and then produce pure soul work without the acid noise invading is baffling. It all happened in L.A. and as far a I can tell, it's the one show I've seen in a long while that gave me a sense of redemption, joy, and that rarest moment, perfection.
Comments Add your own
9:47 pm
Hi! Why isn’t Ronald (aka Ron) Davis in this show? Thanks!
3:15 am
I think you would have to ask the curator, Barbara.
11:51 am
This looks totally luminous, as it should! And thanks for covering it on GB, ’cause I won’t be able to see it otherwise. It’s nice to see Los Angeles Light and Space getting some play in New York!
4:55 pm
Wow, so many pictures! The review in (?) NewYorker?? only had 2, no sense of place/space. Thanks!
12:57 pm
We have a good interview with Laddie John Dill and De Wain Valentine coming up soon – it was a lucky conversion of timing that I could catch those artists here in New York – thanks to Jacqueline Miro and Tim Nye, who curated the show.
2:00 pm
Wow!
Now it’s gone from Zwirner curated the show – who could have known, right? – to Tim curated the show, to the implied possibility that I might have anything to do with it. Love inverted sentences.
Thank you, H-O. Loved the Irwin link, and the review of course. But then again, you already knew that.
8:24 pm
You know, what’s the big surprise? Anyone who was paying attention to art outside of New York City in the 60s would be fully aware, and appreciative, of these artists and their very eye-pleasing work. This is not, I’m sorry to report, a big discovery. And this was just one aspect of interesting things that were going on in CA at the time.
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