I just returned from Chicago, there to see a piece I had at the Woman Made Gallery, fabulous gallery.
While there we went to the Museum of Contemporary Art. I was completely absorbed in the retrospective of Matta-Clark (the show originated at the Whitney). What is impressive about the exhibit is the sense you get of how his mind worked. He used theories and concepts, from the environment, architecture (he is trained in architecture), alchemy, outdoor survival strategies and art and used the technology of the times to create his work. He created architectural interventions. He pulled apart preconceived notions of space. He sliced and diced, buildings, and took photos of the process which he then put back together in an entirely different scheme. He documented each of his building cuts on film. And what he created is oddly beautiful. He forces you to look at buildings, in a whole new way.
What is striking is the energy in all of his work from his sketchbooks to the physical work expended in cutting into buildings whatever the material. His drawings are particularly fascinating he's a whirling dervish with his use of symbols, rather graffiti like, or hieroglyphics, playful and graphic almost cartoonish.
His use of word play in everything what a fascination he had with words and a devilish sense of humor (anarchitecture for example). How he called attention on a massive scale to the issues of decay and poverty in our cities, NYC, as the example. How he recycled materials to consider in construction now seems ahead of his time sadly he died in 1978. Imagine what he would have done had he lived.
And the irony of viewing his work in a museum, examining the cut outs, taking it all out of the environment he chose to work in.
Unforgettable.
While there we went to the Museum of Contemporary Art. I was completely absorbed in the retrospective of Matta-Clark (the show originated at the Whitney). What is impressive about the exhibit is the sense you get of how his mind worked. He used theories and concepts, from the environment, architecture (he is trained in architecture), alchemy, outdoor survival strategies and art and used the technology of the times to create his work. He created architectural interventions. He pulled apart preconceived notions of space. He sliced and diced, buildings, and took photos of the process which he then put back together in an entirely different scheme. He documented each of his building cuts on film. And what he created is oddly beautiful. He forces you to look at buildings, in a whole new way.
What is striking is the energy in all of his work from his sketchbooks to the physical work expended in cutting into buildings whatever the material. His drawings are particularly fascinating he's a whirling dervish with his use of symbols, rather graffiti like, or hieroglyphics, playful and graphic almost cartoonish.
His use of word play in everything what a fascination he had with words and a devilish sense of humor (anarchitecture for example). How he called attention on a massive scale to the issues of decay and poverty in our cities, NYC, as the example. How he recycled materials to consider in construction now seems ahead of his time sadly he died in 1978. Imagine what he would have done had he lived.
And the irony of viewing his work in a museum, examining the cut outs, taking it all out of the environment he chose to work in.
Unforgettable.
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