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Indepth Arts News:
"Minimalpop: A Joint Effort with CCNOA, Brussels and PS, Amsterdam"
2004-07-16 until 2004-08-15
Florence Lynch Gallery
New York, NY,
USA United States of America
minimalpop in New York City presents the work (painting,
sculpture, videos) of 12 international abstract artists. The artists are at
various stages of their careers and do not belong to one group, but rather
pursue individual investigations of art. All attach a
special significance to the retinal, the sensuality of perception and the
relationships among the viewer, architecture and art objects, on an
experiential level. The artists have been widely exhibited in Europe, North
America, and Australia. Their works are included in private, corporate and
public collections around the globe.
The exhibition minimalpop is a joint effort of CCNOA center for contemporary
non-objective art, Brussels, and the Amsterdam-based artist-run gallery PS.
Both places share a history of exchange of artists as well as curated
exhibitions. The concept for minimalpop originates in this cooperation.
minimalpop is conceived as a travelling exhibition. Two venues have been
confirmed: Florence Lynch Gallery, New York City, and Galerie les filles du
calvaire, Paris (modified version opening in January 2005). Other venues are
currently negotiated. minimalpop is accompanied by a 36 page full-color
publication.
From the historical point of view, various positions in "non-objective" art developed over the course of the last century. Starting with the founding
fathers of "non-objective" art (Malevich, Rodchenko, Mondrian, Strzeminski),
and proceeding to the second half of the 20th century with its various
protagonists (Newman, Rothko, Klein, Stella, Judd, Ryman, Palermo) and
movements (Abstract Expressionism, Art Concrete, Zero, BMPT in Paris and
Minimalism in the US), reductive approaches to painting and sculpture became
widespread. Although driven by very different ideals, the artists
nevertheless shared the mutual aim to enhance the understanding of culture
and daily life through their work. Over the past two decades, however, only
a few established artists, who work on the continuum of those ideas and
concerns, have been critically acclaimed. Painting, and especially
"non-objective" painting, started its decline in the mid-60's (see Judd's
remark, that painting had become impossible), and was pronounced dead latest
in the mid-80's. Representational work moved into the limelight. The
promotion of photography as an art form as well as an overwhelming emphasis
and the presentation of media oriented art forms contributed to this
tendency. Despite these tendencies, a re-consideration of the
"non-objective", a reevaluation of certain of its values has evolved among a
new generation of artists. Still looking over their shoulders towards
previous ideas and -isms, they have developed and pursued their very own
approaches towards "abstraction' in their own time and place. Their works
are no longer driven by the social or metaphysical utopias of the pioneers
of abstraction, but by codes and patterns, that have established themselves
in the everyday world. Not content to remain within the parameters of
knowledge and preferences (especially Minimalism, which they embraced),
these artists have taken a rather extroverted stance towards "abstraction",
exploring and expanding on the subtleties of our daily environment as well
as on popular culture and its constituents, An increased interest and
involvement with the public realm as well as the experimentation with
formerly non-artistic materials and techniques have resulted in a more
integrated and expanded approach toward location (architecture & function),
materials (visual & tactile aspects), process (artistic action & treatment),
and time (duration & change). Dogmatic and pragmatic statements of the
heroes of past decades have been replaced by a playful approach towards the
immanence of our time, and has subsequently led to the exploration of other
areas of contemporary culture, like sound, architecture, music, generic
materials, video etc. This has broadened the comprehension and perception of
the "non-objective',
its forms, functions and validity, and the perspective on the reciprocal
transfer between the material realities of art and life.
Artists in the exhibition include: John Beech (UK/USA), Julian Dashper (NZ), Robert Glaubit (USA), Kyle Jenkins
(AUS)
Renée Levi (CH), Gerold Miller (D), Gerwald Rockenschaub (A/D), Tilman
(D/B/USA)
Alan Uglow (UK/USA), Jan van der Ploeg (NL), Tamara Zahaykevich (USA), Beat
Zoderer (CH)
curator: Petra Bungert CCNOA Brussels (B). Catalogue available.
IMAGE:
Jan van der Ploeg
Wall painting from CCNOA, Brussels
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