Urban Alchemy/Gordon Matta-Clark
Yesterday I got a sneak peek of the finished exhibition at the Pulitzer, Urban Alchemy/Gordon Matta-Clark, and I still can’t get over the fact that these are actual BUILDINGS in our galleries. Not some artistic re-creation of what this building might have looked like. But the actual four corners of a family’s home in New Jersey, or a section of a pier from New York City. Be sure to look closely at the many layers of flooring that went into a home in the Bronx. And you won’t be able to miss the house from Love Canal in our Main Gallery called Bingo.
Gordon Matta-Clark, "Splitting: Four Corners", 1974 Four building fragments: wood, plaster, asphalt shingles, saturated felt building paper, tar, asbestos shingles, iron pipe, steel nails, masonite, drywall, paint The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; purchased through a gift of Phyllis Wattis, the Art Supporting Foundation to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Shirley Ross Davis fund, and the Accessions Committee Fund: gift of Mimi and Peter Haas, Niko and Steve Mayer, Christine and Michael Murray, Helen and Charles Schwab, Norah and Norman Stone, and Danielle and Brooks Walker, Jr. © Estate of Gordon Matta-Clark / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
In case you’re unfamiliar with his work, Matta-Clark used neglected structures - primarily in New York in the 1970s - as the raw material for his art. Using a power saw, he literally carved out sections of the buildings, none of which still survive. A few of the sections he removed from these structures - the “cuts” - still exist. A number of these are on view in the exhibition, along with his photography, film and drawings.
It’s hard to describe how incredibly complementary Ando’s architecture is with Matta-Clark’s works. The roughness of Matta-Clark’s cuts are an interesting constrast to the slick smooth lines of Ando’s concrete. Both sliced into architecture, allowing light to penetrate the spaces in unexpected ways. Come see what I’m talking about in person - the opening is tonight, from 5pm - 9pm.
We’re also hoping we can carry Matta-Clark’s legacy and spirit into our own community, to try and inspire social activism through creative acts. The programming component of the exhibition will get going in January - here’s the website in the meantime with more information: http://mattaclark.pulitzerarts.org/transformation/
mason city globe gazette
on Apr 22nd, 2010
@ 7:41 am:
remarkable stuff thanx