Five by five : contemporary artists on contemporary art, April 18-July 5, 2002.

10 Pages·2002·1.1 MB·English

by  Whitney Museum of American Art.

5 5
ive by Five:
ontemporary Artists o
April 18-July 5, 2002
V
Reed Anderson Christopher Wool
V
Rina Banerjee Donald Lipski
Susan Graham Charles Ray
r
Ryan Humphrey Tom Sachs
r
\
Larry Krone Mike Kelley
r
at Philip Morris
Five by Five: Contemporary Artists on Contemporary Art
features newworks commissioned from five contemporaryartists alongside five contemporary
works from the Whitney's permanent collection. Each invited artist was asked to select a
contemporarywork (1985-present) that he or she found personally important or influential,
and then to create a work inspired by that piece. The title ofthe exhibition comes from
a radio communique that numerically describes the strength and clarity ofradio reception,
—
"five by five" being the equivalent of"loud and clear." The phrase which refers to a
—
situation that is both complicated and changeable recently reappeared in NewYork
youth slang, creating a contemporary condition grounded in history. Five byFive visually
creates a recent historical context for contemporary art while presenting a diverse and
multilayered dialogue on what "contemporary" can mean.
ReedAnderson,TheUntitledFearPiece,2002.Airbrushedacrylic,rolledacrylic,andcollageonpaper,73 3/4x38 1/8in.(187.3x96.8cm).
Collectionoftheartist;courtesyClementineGallery,NewYork
on
ChristopherWool,Untitled,1990.Alkydonpaper,73 3/4x38 1/8in.(187.3x96.8cm).WhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt,NewYork;
purchase,withfundsfromtheThomasFountainPurchaseFundandtheDrawingCommittee 90.20
—
Reed Anderson Christopher Wool
I gravitated toward Chris Wool's workknowingthe whole bodyofit, the text pieces and the abstract
pattern paintings. In myproces—s, I am interested in howthe original images, found or drawn, translate
into patterningand abstraction and selectingaword piece, not apatternpiece, seemed more challenging.
Though seeminglydissimilarto mywork, Chris Woolwalks a similartightrope to the one I also walk,
between the simultaneouslymechanized and the handmade.
The wayI punch holes in paper is averymechanical process. I began thinking about the relationship of
this process to typing and the typewriter, oreven the veryphysical mark-making ofearlywritingonwalls
—
or claytablets a kind ofwritingthat is also image. Creating my "writing" through its own printing
— —
process byfoldingthe piece and addingpaint it becomes similarto mimeography, whichwas myfirst
recollection ofthe writtenword.
Myprocess is a balance ofopposites: the sitting down and punchingis much more psychologicallyfree
than the planning. As Iwork, a rhythm develops, abeat, like tappingout a message in Morse code. It
becomes a mantra, and the drawings a form ofmeditation. Because the pieces look so mechanical, it is
interestingto have this other spiritual elementwithin the drawing.
The UntitledFearPiece is a text drawingin some respects, adheringto the guidelines that have been setup
bystudyingtheWool piece. The paperis the same size, andI've measured allthe letters and spaces exactly
workingoffthatto create the newdrawing. It's goodto understand allthe rules before not playingbythem.
Normallywhere Iwould airbrushpigmentthroughthe punchedholes, I used a primarilymonochromatic
rolledpaint, which I hadtried infrustration ona previous piece. When I openedup thatpiece, allthe
intricacies and lacelike details were there, buttheywere thickand smudgedwhere the paintwas pushed
throughthe holes. Myfriend said it looked like abeautifulwomanwho hadbeen out all night, hermakeup
—
smeared. I like thatbleedingthrough, like cheap printing againthe mechanicalwiththe trace ofthe
hand. I always like to throwoffthe symmetrybecause I tliinkthat symmetryis alittle bit dull, too pretty.
Also relevant to mywork is thatWool's piece is ba—ckward and flipped, though I didn't realize that from
the slide at first. Itwas a shock to see it in person it related immediatelyto the flip-and-fold thingthat I
do. Forme, the flip drawings are the simultaneous existence ofone objectin the path ofthe other. I read
abook ontime travel that suggested a time-space leap can be createdbyactuallyfoldingtime and space,
—
creatingthe coexistence oftwo times both the present and the past. We are both the thiefand royalty
ofsimultaneity.
—
Drawnfromaninterviewwiththeartist,February22, 2002
Rina Banerjee Donald Lipski
Our nation, the Global Garden, is a centralized place, determined to bringthe Otherback here to
domesticate it. This space imposes anunnaturalverticality; while ourfences maybe drawn high, theyare
perforated andpermit access to the OutThere. Our architecture skillfullypenetrates the skies, yetwe can-
—
not see beyond the grounds ofits towers. It is this limitedvisionthat betrays us surprises us with our
vulnerabilityto the world at large.
Itis the impulse ofthe twentieth centuryto unifyand homogenize our multiple pasts into a single linear
narrative. The spirit ofournation, in particular, calls forthe diplomatic articulation ofdifference, repli-
catingthe unpleasant hierarchies ofcolonial rule. TheAmerican flagis nowmore than everhyper-visible in
this nation, playingmultiple roles. It can signifya personal expression ofindividualityassociatedwithall
RinaBanerjee,AStrangerIsinOurParadise,
Oursisafortunateplace,theBestIsland,andthecenterofanunknowing,
—unmeasuredworldatlarge.
Saidoneflytotheotherfly
Uponcloseconsideration,surely,onemustrealizethatallpeoples,those
whohavemadethemselvesremoteandunyielding,arenotatallpleasurable.
ManyofusevenhavedeepdisdainforthosewhohaveinfiltratedBest
Island.Manyofthemhavenorelationtousexpectingacommonenvyfor
whattheycannothe.Wearenotresponsibleforbringingmoral,intellectual
andphysicallightintotherecessesoftheirunfortunatecultures,perpet—ually
strugglingforexistence.Finallyextinctionofthesebeingsisdeserved
j—ustifiedbyoursensibleorder.
Saidtheotherfly,
2002.Mixedmedia,dimensionsvariable.Collectionoftheartist
on
DonaldLipski,WaterLilies#61,1991.Glasstubing,water,
Americanflag,andmetalclampsandhook,29 11/16x181/2x
61/8in.(75.4x47x15.6cm)overall.WhitneyMuseumof
AmericanArt,NewYork;giftofJoelM.Barish 95.252a-b
thatisAmerican; the use ofthe flaginartis oftenintended as a displayofself-criticality, celebratedas a
—
partofthe national character. The flagcanalso symbolize the established politicalagenda the nation's
violentassimilation ofall. This makes whatis infactAmerican imperialismappearas growth and light,
anatural interruption. The ideais this: all places representedas barren desire ourfarming, allthatis
forestedrequires ourcutting, weeding, grooming.
DonaldLipski's WaterLilies#61 is one inaseries ofhis sculptures thatincorporates theAmericanflag.
Lipski's assemblagesbelongto amomentinouraesthetichistorythatgave ordinaryobjects legitimacyin
—
artspaces. His flag submergedinpreservativesbehindheavyglass, protectedand secured, hungupon
—
ahooknevertodry seems silencedbytheweightofits sereneand simple security. Displacedfromits
—
originalfunction, its ambivalence renders itpotent. Iamdeeplyinterestedinthis transformation its
latency, its elusive character. Myworkplays offthese potentialities: arecombinationofobjects thatresults
inanewthing,while remainingconnectedtowhatitoncewas. Itis anexemplarymetaphorforhow
—
people adapttheiridentities to somethingnewwhile retaininga sense oftheiroriginalselves andfor
thewaypeople are acceptedwhile stillbeingperceivedas Other.
— —
Mypiece is the symbolicrepresentationofthe BestIsland ourisland blowingaway. The contraption,
—
whichis bulkyandawkward, also resonates as amirage, an oasis yetnotthe mythic ideaofthat safe,
perfect space. Itis ametaphorforthe nation: contained, colorful, andordered, butalways onthebrink
ofburstingatthe seams.
Susan Graham Charles Ray
The Charles Raypiece I have chosen has an airofintrospection: the sculpture is ofthe artist himself,
tinyand nonconfrontational, unlike the otherRaypieces I am familiarwith. The figure is isolated in
the bottle, shoulders slightlyhunched, lookingahead contemplatively. The pityone mightfeel toward
the mantrapped in the bottle, though, is mediated for me bythe title "Puzzle Bottle," which refers to
the ship-in-the-bottle trickeryofthe piece.
I told a friend Iwas thinking—about howthe figure sees the world from the bottle. She said, "Do you
knowthe quote from Hamlet the one aboutthe universe in a nutshell?" She couldn't rememberthe
quote, except "IfI were bound in a nutshell..." and something about infinite space.1 That conversation
drewme to start the outer-space images and to startthinkingmore about limited orunlimited space.
Bythe time I actuallygotthe quote, I knewwhat Iwanted itto say, orwhat Iwanted it to mean, so I
roughlyparaphrased itto suit myneeds. This versionbecame the title ofmypiece.
Myimpulsewas to make images ofwhatthe manenvisions tobe outside thebottle. Consideringhis
contained state, I imaginedthe mostescapistfantasies. Imade photos ofspace explorationvehicles, satel-
lites, skies, and such simultaneouslywithfilms, sometimes shootingthe same scenes inbothmediums.
The humorofRay'swork, the scale, andthe loneliness ofthe man's situationinspiredme tomake the
filmsjustalittlebitfunnyorawkward. I see aninverse relationshipbetweenthewayPuzzleBottle andmy
photos andfilms use scale. Forhis piece, Raymade aminiature ofhimselfand limitedits spacebycontain-
ingitinthebottle, emphasizingits smallness. Formyphotos andfilms, Imade miniatures outofsugar
andprovidedvast suggested skies andlandscapes forthem, creatinguncertaintyas totheirreal size. Both
uses ofscale createtensionbetweenrealityandunreality.Theyasktheviewerto engage ina suspension
—
ofdisbelief: tobelievethatthere is aLilliputianmanwho mightfitthroughthe neckofthebottle orpos-
—
siblyjustgrewthere andtobelievethatthe miniatures orthe spaces theyinhabitmightactuallybe real.
1."OhGod,Icouldbeboundedinanutshellandcountmyselfakingofinfinitespace,wereitnotthatIhavebaddreams,'
fromHamlet,ed.LouisB.WrightandVirginiaA.LaMar(NewYork:WashingtonSquarePress,1958), 2.2.270-72.
SusanGraham,auniversewithedgeswouldbealrightifonlyIdidn'tdream(sugar
spaceships),2002.Mixedmedia,dimensionsvariable.Collectionoftheartist
on
CharlesRay,PuzzleBottle,1995.Glass,paintedwood,andcork,13 3/8x3 3/4x
3 3/4in.(34x9.5x9.5cm)overall.WhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt,New
York;purchase,withfundsfromtheContemporaryPaintingandSculpture
CommitteeandBarbaraandEugeneSchwartz 95.85a-b
RyanHumphrey,HumphreyIndustries
ProductBoxesandHumphreyIndustries
T-Shirts,2002.Water-basedenameland
silkscreeninkonwood,andsilk-screened
T-shirts,dimensionsvariable.Collectionof
theartist;courtesyCarenGoldenFineArt,
NewYork
on
TomSachs,DeluxeDuelingSet,1997.
Paintedwoodcasewithtoolsandobjects,
191/2x24x181/2in.(49.5x61x47cm).
WhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt,New
York;purchase,withfundsfromEmily •
FisherLandau 98.57a-ccc
Tom
Ryan Humphrey Sachs
Tom Sachs's work appeals to me fora certainyouthful aesthetic, an energylevel that resonates at
—
a higher pitch, which I also strive for. Some ofthe appeal is his process he's got the hands-on,
jury-rigged, punkaesthetic.
Tom did one piece titled aftera pro-skateboarder, who onlya smallgroup ofpeoplewould recognize
orrelate to. I'm interested inthat: howI cantalkto a particulargroup, a subculture orsmaller
community, yet notbe exclusive. Similarly, I'm lookingto see howmanythings I can combine
that overlap and mesh, such that people from differentgroups can see the workand have some-
thingto talk about together, creatinga more expansivevision for all ofthem.
—
Myfrustrationwith the marketing machine and the branding ofeverythingis the impetus for all of
this. People are being sold. It's all atrick. Tom addresses this issue in his workoverall, ifnot specifically
—
inthis piece though more aggressivelyand cynicallythan I do. I started HumphreyIndustries as a
personal antidote to the barrage ofconsumerinformationwe live with.1 In awayI knowI contribute
to the system, but mywork is also awayofcircumventing or appropriating it. I don't create my
products orthe consumer transaction on a mass scale; it's a kind ofhealing, recreating in an intimate
waysomethingI find disturbing. I'm after a more personal relationship withthe people I give my
products to; I'm tryingto give avibe, a feeling, a kind ofgift.
I'm interested inuplifting, even spiritual feelings in mywork, but notin anironicway. People get
uncomfortablewhentheyfind themselves drivingalongand tappingtheirfingers to aJourney song. But
—
itis whatitis, there's somethingpure there tojustlike. I'm askingthe viewer maybe through that
—
recognition ofthe songs, orthe objects orimages Iuse to questiontheirexperiencewith culture. But I
want it feel familiar: you recognize and relate to myobjects in a directway.
I decided toworkwith a professional designer forthe graphic inHumphreyIndustriesProductBoxes.
There's a particulartouch that comes with that rigor and expertise. Iwant them to feel like real
products, though it's important thattheyare in fact onlyimplied. I didn'twant to be too specific
I like the feeling ofimplied doom.
TheT-shirt is somethingels—e, a kind ofcost-effective wayto make aprint. I cut and paste, touch itup,
do the low-tech punkthing that's right in line with howTomworks. Iwant to conveythe same feel-
ingas more traditional "art," but on abasic level: everyone gets the idea ofan image on aT-shirt.
Sometimes I sellthem, sometimes give them awayas a kind ofexchange. Itmaycost me moneyto give
them away, but that's the kind oftransaction I'm interested in. That's the spirit inwhich I made this
piece. Ifyou purchase somethingfrom me I guarant—ee you'll at leastget a handshake.
Drawnfromatapedinterviewwiththeartist,March 1, 2002
1.RyanHumphreycreatedhisfictionalenterprise,HumphreyIndustries,asawaytoaddressissuesofconsumerismincontem-
poraryculture,andtosubvertthetraditionalcorporateexchange.
Larry Krone Mike Kelley
When I first looked at the collection I looked quickly for things I liked, then again forthings that
I felt personal about. Mike Kelleywas somebodywho made a bigimpact on me at a crucial time in
myeducation, and this piece did influence myworkand the wayI thinkabout art. As I considered
usingthe Kelley, I realized that Iwas focusingon a particularidea I'd had in myhead: a show-stopping
performance with my sisteron a swing, wearing an elaborate handmade dress as her costume.
MoreLoveHours (nocharge) uses found objects and plays on their histories. The first historyis that
ofthe materials used to make the dress and the swing; there is a storyin eachused and discarded
element. The other, more important historyis that ofmy sister. I'musingmy sisterand the found
—
materials in away similarto howKelleyused the dolls to create the afghan takingadvantage of
these layers ofhistoryas theycome into playin the work as awhole.
Using songlyrics, elements ofshowmanship, and obsessive handcraftsmanship, I create scenarios in
mywork inwhich people can imagine who I am, whether ornot it is true. In reality, the performer
is incontrol ofthe showand reveals as much as he wants. With me it's in agenerous way; my "trick"
is that myperformances are completely sincere.Janet is doingthe same thing: playing a part, yet
presentingherselfas herself. She has the chance to displayherselfand the complexities ofher life
through the lyrics ofthe song, a kind
—
ofepic, country-music narrative her
history. While not the artist, she has the
opportunitythat artists have to expose
herself. The point ofthe piece is to give
herthat opportunity, and in thatwayto
—
expose myrelationship with her our
—
history as well.
Unlike manypeople, I think the Kelleyis
beautiful. Myattitude toward his piece is
different even from the artist's. He has a
pessimisticviewofthe term "love
hours." He focuses on the idea that a
craft item is often agift ofno monetary LarryKrone,MoreLoveHours(nocharge),2002.Mixed
value, butthe payment hoped for is measured media,dimensionsvariable.Collectionoftheartist
on
in love and guilt. There is somethingcruel in the MikeKelley,MoreLoveHoursThanCanEverBeRepaidand
exchange. But the most important thing I see inthe TheWagesofSin,1987.Stuffedfabrictoysandafghanson
canvaswithdriedcorn;waxcandlesonwoodandmetal
work, besides the formal and the aesthetic aspe—cts, base,90x1191/4x5in.(228.6x302.9x12.7cm)plus
is the amazing concentration oflaborand love both candlesandbase.WhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt,
in the found elements themselves and the work NewYork;purchase,withfundsfromthePaintingand
SculptureCommittee 89.i3a-e
Kelleyput in. That to me seems like a gift he is giving
to the audience.
The feeling ofmaking a gift drives me to create things in an obsessive way. The performance with
—
my sister is the same kind offeeling that labor for her, making her lookbeautiful. I've only
recently realized how refined costume-making is; her dress is actually avery couture garment. I
want people to be surprised bythe detail, that everyelement is extravagantlyworked. This type of
detail is unnecessaryfor the look ofit; it's what makes it a gift.
—
Drawnfromaninterviewwiththeartist,February25, 2002
LUHITNEV
SusanGraham,auniversewithedgeswouldbealright
ifonlyIdidn'tdream(sugarspaceships),2002(detail)
Gallery Hours Staff
Monday-Friday 11 am-6 pm Shamim M. Momin
Thursday n am-7:30 pm BranchDirectorand Curator
Howie Chen
Monday-Saturday 7:30 am-9:30 pm Gallery/CuratorialAssistant
Sunday 11 am-7 pm
AustinYang
Gallery/EducationAssistant
The Whitney Museum ofAmerican Art
Free admission
Tours by appointment at Philip Morris is funded by Philip Morris
Companies Inc.
For more information, call [phone].
This brochure accompanies the exhibition
Five byFive: ContemporaryArtistson Contemporary
Art, organized by Shamim M. Momin, branch
director and curator, Whitney Museum of
American Art at Philip Morris.
AllphotographsbyGeorgeHiroseexceptDeluxeDuelingSetby
GeoffreyClements.
C2002WhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt
945MadisonAvenueat75thStreet
NewYork. NY 10021
www.whitney.org