Showing posts with label Sol LeWitt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sol LeWitt. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Lovejoy Bakers and Sol LeWitt
One of the most popular pages here at Fifty Two Pieces continues to be one of Sol LeWitt's. I've linked it below this image that I took of a Sol LeWitt inspired piece. You can find this striking yellow piece of art outside of Lovejoy Bakers in The Pearl here in Portland.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
The Top Ten
Here's our list of the top ten artists at Fifty Two Pieces and the pages that made them so popular. Like most popularity lists this one is skewed by length of time a page has been circulating on the internet. Although Raphael and La Donna Velata made the cut it was just barely. However, Raphael only first appeared during the last week of October. Part of the reason Josef Sudek is a front runner in popularity has to do with the world wide audience Fifty Two Pieces has. Visitors come from all over the world and make frequent revisits. Although most of the over 17,000 visitors are from the United States, Canada and Great Britain, people from over 100 countries have dropped in on Fifty Two Pieces.
Check out these artists and the other 42 that we have presented in the last year. For each one on the Top Ten List we've also included a link to all of their posts.
All things Franz Kline...
Sol LeWitt
All of Sol LeWitt's Incomplete Open Cubes
Sol LeWittAll of Sol LeWitt's Incomplete Open Cubes
Amy had this to say today...
My personal favorite, the artist I most enjoyed learning about this year, is you LaValle. This project taught me so much about partnership in writing and learning. It has been invaluable for me. I have logged into Fifty Two Pieces for the last time and no new years resolution will ever be the same.
LaValle had this to say on this last day of 2009...
Starting tomorrow, I'll no longer be thinking about what I'll be writing about on Fifty Two Pieces, nor will I be researching what that writing will be about, nor will I be waking up early to actually write it. Not doing all of that in turn will be leaving hours of extra time every day. What is she going to do you might ask? Voice from the Couch is also waiting to hear and not too patiently for that answer.
Well, I'll be starting a photography blog Portland Through My Lens. I'm challenging myself to ride the Portland Streetcar every day of 2010 and take photographs and post at least one of those images. The restrictions I'm imposing on myself are that the photos must be either from the streetcar or within two blocks of the streetcar. And I should amend the challenge to everyday that I'm in Portland since I do hope to travel sometime during the year. I'll have to come up with a sub-challenge for those days.
2009 has been a fine year, full of lots of planning, website maintenance and many discoveries. Thank you Amy for a great year. And thank you to everyone, all 17,000+ visitors, who have helped to make the year as good as it was.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Sol Lewitt - Letter to Eva Hesse
Yesterday I had several conversations about life with myself and others -- the meaning of life, what am I going to do with my life, what's it all about? Those types of "talks" are the ones that keep you awake at night and perhaps depress you during the day. And then I saw this video of Sol Lewitt's letter to Eva Hesse. I had read snippets of it during the week, but it wasn't until yesterday that I saw this video. Sol sums "it" up with the words Stop it and just DO! A quick google search and I found the entire letter and it has even more force so I've posted that below the video (the letter was a copy paste so all of the typos are from others).
Dear Eva,
It will be almost a month since you wrote to me and you have possibly forgotten your state of mind (I doubt it though). You seem the same as always, and being you, hate every minute of it. Don’t! Learn to say “Fuck You” to the world once in a while. You have every right to. Just stop thinking, worrying, looking over your shoulder wondering, doubting, fearing, hurting, hoping for some easy way out, struggling, grasping, confusing, itchin, scratching, mumbling, bumbling, grumbling, humbling, stumbling, numbling, rumbling, gambling, tumbling, scumbling, scrambling, hitching, hatching, bitching, moaning, groaning, honing, boning, horse-shitting, hair-splitting, nit-picking, piss-trickling, nose sticking, ass-gouging, eyeball-poking, finger-pointing, alleyway-sneaking, long waiting, small stepping, evil-eyeing, back-scratching, searching, perching, besmirching, grinding, grinding, grinding away at yourself. Stop it and just DO!
From your description, and from what I know of your previous work and you [sic] ability; the work you are doing sounds very good “Drawing-clean-clear but crazy like machines, larger and bolder… real nonsense.” That sounds fine, wonderful - real nonsense. Do more. More nonsensical, more crazy, more machines, more breasts, penises, cunts, whatever - make them abound with nonsense. Try and tickle something inside you, your “weird humor.” You belong in the most secret part of you. Don’t worry about cool, make your own uncool. Make your own, your own world. If you fear, make it work for you - draw & paint your fear and anxiety. And stop worrying about big, deep things such as “to decide on a purpose and way of life, a consistant [sic] approach to even some impossible end or even an imagined end” You must practice being stupid, dumb, unthinking, empty. Then you will be able to DO!
I have much confidence in you and even though you are tormenting yourself, the work you do is very good. Try to do some BAD work - the worst you can think of and see what happens but mainly relax and let everything go to hell - you are not responsible for the world - you are only responsible for your work - so DO IT. And don’t think that your work has to conform to any preconceived form, idea or flavor. It can be anything you want it to be. But if life would be easier for you if you stopped working - then stop. Don’t punish yourself. However, I think that it is so deeply engrained in you that it would be easier to DO!
It seems I do understand your attitude somewhat, anyway, because I go through a similar process every so often. I have an “Agonizing Reappraisal” of my work and change everything as much as possible = and hate everything I’ve done, and try to do something entirely different and better. Maybe that kind of process is necessary to me, pushing me on and on. The feeling that I can do better than that shit I just did. Maybe you need your agony to accomplish what you do. And maybe it goads you on to do better. But it is very painful I know. It would be better if you had the confidence just to do the stuff and not even think about it. Can’t you leave the “world” and “ART” alone and also quit fondling your ego. I know that you (or anyone) can only work so much and the rest of the time you are left with your thoughts. But when you work or before your work you have to empty you [sic] mind and concentrate on what you are doing. After you do something it is done and that’s that. After a while you can see some are better than others but also you can see what direction you are going. I’m sure you know all that. You also must know that you don’t have to justify your work - not even to yourself. Well, you know I admire your work greatly and can’t understand why you are so bothered by it. But you can see the next ones and I can’t. You also must believe in your ability. I think you do. So try the most outrageous things you can - shock yourself. You have at your power the ability to do anything.
I would like to see your work and will have to be content to wait until Aug or Sept. I have seen photos of some of Tom’s new things at Lucy’s. They are impressive - especially the ones with the more rigorous form: the simpler ones. I guess he’ll send some more later on. Let me know how the shows are going and that kind of stuff.
My work had changed since you left and it is much better. I will be having a show May 4 -9 at the Daniels Gallery 17 E 64yh St (where Emmerich was), I wish you could be there. Much love to you both.
Sol
Dear Eva,
It will be almost a month since you wrote to me and you have possibly forgotten your state of mind (I doubt it though). You seem the same as always, and being you, hate every minute of it. Don’t! Learn to say “Fuck You” to the world once in a while. You have every right to. Just stop thinking, worrying, looking over your shoulder wondering, doubting, fearing, hurting, hoping for some easy way out, struggling, grasping, confusing, itchin, scratching, mumbling, bumbling, grumbling, humbling, stumbling, numbling, rumbling, gambling, tumbling, scumbling, scrambling, hitching, hatching, bitching, moaning, groaning, honing, boning, horse-shitting, hair-splitting, nit-picking, piss-trickling, nose sticking, ass-gouging, eyeball-poking, finger-pointing, alleyway-sneaking, long waiting, small stepping, evil-eyeing, back-scratching, searching, perching, besmirching, grinding, grinding, grinding away at yourself. Stop it and just DO!
From your description, and from what I know of your previous work and you [sic] ability; the work you are doing sounds very good “Drawing-clean-clear but crazy like machines, larger and bolder… real nonsense.” That sounds fine, wonderful - real nonsense. Do more. More nonsensical, more crazy, more machines, more breasts, penises, cunts, whatever - make them abound with nonsense. Try and tickle something inside you, your “weird humor.” You belong in the most secret part of you. Don’t worry about cool, make your own uncool. Make your own, your own world. If you fear, make it work for you - draw & paint your fear and anxiety. And stop worrying about big, deep things such as “to decide on a purpose and way of life, a consistant [sic] approach to even some impossible end or even an imagined end” You must practice being stupid, dumb, unthinking, empty. Then you will be able to DO!
I have much confidence in you and even though you are tormenting yourself, the work you do is very good. Try to do some BAD work - the worst you can think of and see what happens but mainly relax and let everything go to hell - you are not responsible for the world - you are only responsible for your work - so DO IT. And don’t think that your work has to conform to any preconceived form, idea or flavor. It can be anything you want it to be. But if life would be easier for you if you stopped working - then stop. Don’t punish yourself. However, I think that it is so deeply engrained in you that it would be easier to DO!
It seems I do understand your attitude somewhat, anyway, because I go through a similar process every so often. I have an “Agonizing Reappraisal” of my work and change everything as much as possible = and hate everything I’ve done, and try to do something entirely different and better. Maybe that kind of process is necessary to me, pushing me on and on. The feeling that I can do better than that shit I just did. Maybe you need your agony to accomplish what you do. And maybe it goads you on to do better. But it is very painful I know. It would be better if you had the confidence just to do the stuff and not even think about it. Can’t you leave the “world” and “ART” alone and also quit fondling your ego. I know that you (or anyone) can only work so much and the rest of the time you are left with your thoughts. But when you work or before your work you have to empty you [sic] mind and concentrate on what you are doing. After you do something it is done and that’s that. After a while you can see some are better than others but also you can see what direction you are going. I’m sure you know all that. You also must know that you don’t have to justify your work - not even to yourself. Well, you know I admire your work greatly and can’t understand why you are so bothered by it. But you can see the next ones and I can’t. You also must believe in your ability. I think you do. So try the most outrageous things you can - shock yourself. You have at your power the ability to do anything.
I would like to see your work and will have to be content to wait until Aug or Sept. I have seen photos of some of Tom’s new things at Lucy’s. They are impressive - especially the ones with the more rigorous form: the simpler ones. I guess he’ll send some more later on. Let me know how the shows are going and that kind of stuff.
My work had changed since you left and it is much better. I will be having a show May 4 -9 at the Daniels Gallery 17 E 64yh St (where Emmerich was), I wish you could be there. Much love to you both.
Sol
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Cubes Cubes Everywhere
Check out this picture LaValle took on the way to the museum this morning. And yesterday she stopped us in front of a baby blue neon sign on an old building in Northwest, so she could shoot that. She has this big black purse full of cords from headphones and ipods, iphones, and she's got lipstick and wallets and books in there. It's like being with a magician, because every once in a while she pulls something like this out of her purse and emails it to me on the spot. So I'm at my desk, I'm sitting here considering what to post and boom- she blasts me with these 3 complete and one incomplete cubes. What a photo, I think, and the subject line of the email it's attached to simply says "from this morning."
Every morning is like this though, I think. Every morning is a puddle with a reflection if you just stop and see it.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sol Lewitt - Double Pyramid, as seen by Burt Kimmelman
Sol Lewitt’s Double Pyramid
Whitney Museum Restaurant, 12.23.00
The other side of
the picture window,
its light borrowed from
above where the stone
blocks at street level
rest adjacent to
a hot dog wagon,
telephone booths and
people on their way
through the winter haze —
we hold whatever
glow there is, the clink
of dishes cutting
across the waves of
conversation, a
reprieve against the
dazzling colors on
the gallery walls.
How incredibly
lucky art is, its
shining like the sun,
undaunted – and we,
too, from below the
summit, in our odd
ways make it come true.
from Somehow by Burt Kimmelman
(Marsh Hawk Press, New York, 2005)
Burt Kimmelman agreed to have Double Pyramid grace the pages of our blog. It's a beautiful poem as are all of his in his collection Somehow. Double Pyramid moves from the image of Lewitt's sculpture that sat outside the Whitney cafe to his thoughts on life and art. Sol Lewitt was probably quite pleased to have had this poem written (see Sentence 20 in yesterday's comment -- Successful art changes our understanding of the conventions by altering our perceptions.) Mr. Kimmelman's poem moves from line to line, five syllables at a time, a cadence you could use to climb one pyramid, descend and climb the next.
Here's a street view of the Whitney for all of us to enjoy.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Talkative Week
(Sol Lewitt, at our left, smiled impishly when this photo was taken and perhaps again as he ponders us discussing his conceptual art.)This week's choice to cover the Sol Lewitt has spurred more conversation than any other piece this year. TJ Norris started us off in the gallery, where dozens of us came together Thursday night to share our thoughts and converse on the uncube, as I call it. TJ went on to post an insightful debrief of the talk he gave on his blog. LaValle started a conversation with poet Burt Kimmelman about posting one of his poems about Lewitt, which he responded to in agreement. John and I sat down over dinner Friday to discuss the cube and what we heard from TJ. He came to the Thursday night talk and thinks the Cube series is genius.
TJ pointed out that MASS MoCA has 27,000 square feet of Sol Lewitt. 27,000 square feet of concise, particular, cold, clean-lined conceptual art. "Cubism to the next level." TJ also talked about the idea that some people think of this piece and Sol's others as sacred math, but its not sacred, its real math. Its erasing certain lines, thats it. He said Sol "distrusted what it was to be an artist, removing sequentially one part at a time.."
And best of all, TJ Norris said he loves the piece, where it is, here and now, at the odd angle it sits in the CMCA of the Portland Art Museum*, and whether or not it has over a hundred missing pieces, it is complete in its incompleteness anyway.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Sol Lewitt - 35 Sentences on Conceptual Art
Today's post honors Sol Lewitt's 35 Sentences on Conceptual Art, Baldessari "singing" same (some say thankfully only eight of them), anonymous who chose to post comments for the last two days listing out the first ten, and Nick Defour for posting his version of Baldessari on Youtube. Seriously these statements are great to read a few at a time. So looking at the comments for each day this week (hopefully anonymous will keep coming back as promised) you'll get five at a time -- just enough to mull over, much like contemplating the seriality of the incomplete cubes.
I especially liked Sentence 3. Irrational judgements lead to new experience. It followed Sentence 2. Rational judgements repeat rational judgements.
As an added note the Portland Art Museum* has a John Baldessari print as part of the Mixografia show in the Print Gallery.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Sol Lewitt - Incomplete Open Cubes, 122 All Together Now
Last night at the Portland Art Museum's* Artist Talk, T J Norris spoke about the museum's one Incomplete Open Cube. During the course of the evening, we all came to realize that this solitary cube exists not just on its own but as part of a series of cubes. How many ways can an open cube be seen? Imagine Lewitt, creating in his mind and then on paper and then in aluminum with paint, these cubes. Cubes that now live by themselves, alone, holding court with works by Judd, Stella, and Agnes Martin. Alone they seem quite serene, almost aloof; together they're an army of soldiers. Soldiers I think of as going forward into the world to allow us to see and think differently.
To find out more about T J Norris visit him at unBlogged.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Incomplete Cube, Discussed Tonight
Tonight the museum invites the public to join artist TJ Norris in conversation about “Incomplete Cube” by Sol Lewitt and Marcel Duchamp’s “Boîte-en-valise, Series F.” as Part of a new series of monthly gallery talks by local artists. Norris, Portland-based artist, curator, and writer, creates works in a hybrid of media. His work has been shown in the Americas, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. His choice of Sol Lewitt, and the hope that it will inspire more people to come to the artist talk series, is why we chose this piece for this week. Sol Lewitt, whom I will learn much more about after tonights talk, was a minimalist and a conceptual artist, his incomplete cube falls into both categories.
For me there isn't a real connection, I neither love or hate this piece. My mind wants to finish what Sol started, drawing in the missing lines, but I am alright letting it be what it is. The uncube. But I have heard that it makes some people uneasy. Even nauseous. Which is why it's so great that after the talk the museum is going to open the cash bar.Hopefully you read up, and we'll see you tonight.
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