start!

Both Stadler and Artschwager are known for creating objects that resist conventional and functional classification, dissolving the traditional distinctions between art and design. Their objects punctuate space both literally and figuratively, drawing articulate attention to their own presence. The title START! combines the artists’ names and puts forth an imperative, an invitation to constantly think anew. The exhibition features iconic works by Artschwager selected for their engagement with spatial and functional dynamics, including Apostrophe (1966), Exclamation Point (Wood) (1970), and Leaning Chair (2010).

Stadler utilizes technology that was unavailable to Artschwager, but is in keeping with his playful manipulation of surface and substance. In all these works, the “skin” of the object is a shape-shifting domain, where an image is transposed on to the work. This theme was central to Artschwager’s oeuvre, as can be seen in his use of Formica and grain-patterned paint. Yet it takes on new significance in the twenty-first century, an era saturated in simulations.

Glenn Adamson

Courtesy:
Carpenters Workshop Gallery

See also:
3DPD
FANTOM LIGHT
RETURN OF THE THING
RICHARD

Photos:
Matt Harrington