Our end-of-the-year trip to Mass MoCA
Up the Mohawk Trail from Greenfield up through the foothills over the Berkshires and into the town of North Adams, home of the Mass MoCA - the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.
Above is the Sign, Signs contribution
In the Building 5 Gallery:
Above images:
Re-Projection: Hoosac
2010
And coming on January 4, a new photo meme called Signs Signs, hosted by Lesley, to which I will be linking.
Alyson Shotz
What is the red thing behind the door in the photo above, you ask?
Orly Genger (b. 1979, New York)
Big Boss, 2009–2010
Rope, paint
Rope, paint
Created with 100 miles of knotted rope Orly Genger’s installation commands the space
with a towering wall that bursts through the architecture and falls into a riotous spill
of material. Forcing viewers to rethink their path, the distinct elements articulate
the structural potential and strength of the rope as well as its softer side. Genger’s
work often grapples with a male-dominated history of sculpture and with the legacy
of artists such as Tony Smith and Richard Serra. Hand-working her industrial material
in an adapted crochet stitch, Genger introduces a traditionally female-identified
craft process into an artistic idiom associated with a certain muscular bravado. Yet
Genger’s own process — which has her wrestling with large amounts of the heavy
material — is overtly physical. (Images of body-builders are pinned to Genger’s studio
wall). The “Big Boss” of the title might refer to the labor the rope demands of Genger,
or perhaps to her mastery over the material. Painting the rope a vivid red, the artist
matches the material’s presence with an equally forceful color.
with a towering wall that bursts through the architecture and falls into a riotous spill
of material. Forcing viewers to rethink their path, the distinct elements articulate
the structural potential and strength of the rope as well as its softer side. Genger’s
work often grapples with a male-dominated history of sculpture and with the legacy
of artists such as Tony Smith and Richard Serra. Hand-working her industrial material
in an adapted crochet stitch, Genger introduces a traditionally female-identified
craft process into an artistic idiom associated with a certain muscular bravado. Yet
Genger’s own process — which has her wrestling with large amounts of the heavy
material — is overtly physical. (Images of body-builders are pinned to Genger’s studio
wall). The “Big Boss” of the title might refer to the labor the rope demands of Genger,
or perhaps to her mastery over the material. Painting the rope a vivid red, the artist
matches the material’s presence with an equally forceful color.
Wade Kavanaugh and Stephen B. Nguyen
(b. 1979, Portland, Maine, and b. 1976, Little Falls, Minnesota)White Stag
2009–2010
Paper, woodWade Kavanaugh and Stephen B. Nguyen have been working with paper since their
first collaboration in 2005. The versatility of the material — which can be flat or
volumetric, smooth or textured, buoyant or heavy — allow the artists a wide range of
possibilities for their large-scale installations which they describe as “investigations
of the uncertain territory between imagined and physical space.” At MASS MoCA the
duo has responded to the museum’s industrial, brick architecture with its imagined
opposite: a fantastical, old growth forest fashioned from twisted, crumpled, and
draped rolls of paper. The ghostly image of the decaying natural landscape, however,
mirrors in some way the fading industrial landscape embodied by the museum’s
repurposed factory spaces. Spanning two floors, the installation appears to grow from
one gallery to the next, joining the separate spaces and providing viewers a different
perspective on the labyrinthine building.
Window Views and Doors
I love these whole-room installation pieces. Something about them makes me feel rightfully tiny in this world, makes me want to try harder. I doubt I'll ever have the visual impact on the world that this stuff does, especially the Genger piece.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing it, another reason to visit New England.
I wish I had the imagination of these artists!
ReplyDeleteAll the best in 2011, Gina!
Hmmm...what happened to all the other comments? :-/
ReplyDeleteinteresting place, fascinating display. i love the red rope.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great exhibition!
ReplyDeleteI love the last piece with depth and shadows and the mystery of the ever moving, yet frozen waterfall.The exploring of the visual caverns leading to the more delicate exploration of hte hidden threads of our mind.
Lovely post, thanks Gina.
These are quite fascinating.
ReplyDeleteSydney - City and Suburbs
wow, these are fascinating works of art! The Geometry of Light is amazing.
ReplyDeleteI love these Gena -- it's cool when they let you take pictures at an art show or museum. Thanks for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteSome incredible colors in the Katharina Grosse works, but I keep going back to the one right after hers, the Tobias Putrih re-projection, hanging in mid-air and awakening something (I don't quite know what) in me. Wonderful.
ReplyDelete-- K
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel
That's quite the installation, Gina! So many materials and textures. And a versatile gallery, too.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time in my life when I would have hated these. Now that I am older, I think I get it. I love the expression and the huge talent to do this work and to be able to get it right.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite work is the white at the end. just stunning
reg
Gina -
ReplyDeleteThis isn't the forum for this, I know, but I couldn't find an email address for you and knew you'd see this.
This post reminded me of one of the better installation pieces at the Milwaukee Art Museum, museum of my youth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhVZ6O5rp1E
I just saw there's talk of removing him, to make room for newer exhibits.
Hope you enjoy.
Elliott
Elliot - it's perfectly fine. I'm glad you left the comment. I'll check it out at once, as right now is my "blogging time" before dinner. I'll also add my email address, which I thought was available here.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
my first thought is how much it is to say mass moca.
ReplyDeletethe installations are amazing. I always wonder where artists get the room to work on such huge pieces
my comment would have made more sense if I had included the word 'fun' - it is fun to say MASS MoCA
ReplyDeleteThat's a nice big sign!
ReplyDeletehmmmm, my comments seem to have gone missing. and noiw I can't remember what wonderful words I said. Still glad to have you on board and I think I said something about this unassuming looking building holding great things.
ReplyDelete