In a studio piled with industrial scrap, busted-up cast iron plumbing fixtures, fragments of architectural decoration, and kitsch, Robert Hudson builds semi-abstract metal sculptures. He begins without drawings or models, makes a base, welds a support on top of it, and then adds elements by trial and error.
Competition in Common: Art Around New York
The gallery scene in New York, like the large metropolitan entity itself, consists of many diverse neighborhoods, each with its own constituents and concerns. Competitive but not cohesive, the New York art world remains a relatively small, even hermetic community with a common goal of showing and selling art of every type.
The Meat of Sculpture: Paul Thek
One can know quite a bit about American art after 1960 while knowing little or nothing about the work of Paul Thek. Indeed, one can visit many museums with important holdings in modern and contemporary art without chancing upon Thek’s work, and one can digest quite a body of literature on American art before stumbling
Little Seeds of Ideas: A Conversation with Bill Woodrow
As a member of the much-celebrated New British Sculpture group in the 1980s, Bill Woodrow captivated the art world with his cut-out ensembles of morphed objects. Since then, he has continually reinvented the possibilities of sculpture, breaking with his original approach to create works made from welded steel and cast bronze, materials that other sculptors
Playing with Perception: A Conversation with Daniel Arsham
Draped Figure Arms Out, 2013. Fiberglass and paint, 185 x 165 x 60 cm. Daniel Arsham’s work is full of the unexpected: solid surfaces appear to bend and buckle, high-tech equipment looks like it’s existed for thousands of years, and people seem to walk through walls.
Contradiction is My Logic: A Conversation with Alexandre Arrechea
Alexandre Arreachea, who was born in Cuba, worked as part of the well-known collaborative Los Carpinteros before embarking on a solo career in 2003. Now, he navigates between living in spain and exhibiting in biennials from Venice to Teipei and in museums from New York to Honolulu.
Material Splendor, A Conversation with El Anatsui
When I first interviewed El Anatsui, back in 2006, I was captivated by his use of found materials, form, and social context, but I consciously steered away from critical and art historical issues. To me, there was a more interesting story that acknowledged the heart, particularly in the haunting sculpture Visa Queue (1992).
When Chance Meets Precision, A Conversation with Shirazeh Houshiary
Shirazeh Houshiary, who was born in Shiraz, Iran, and moved to London in 1974, had her first solo show in 1980 at the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff. Early on, she won recognition as part of a group of sculptors, including Richard Deacon and Tony Cragg, who came of age in the 1980s.
Mark Malmberg’s Kinetic Sculptures, Crawling Out of Darkness
Mark Malmberg’s robotic mobiles, most of which are solar-powered, twist, chirp, whirl, and whistle. Just add a little sunlight and witness the fascinating signs of something that approximates life. This life emerges not out of muck and slime but out of a contemporary profusion of silicon, circuits, and machinery.
In Search of the Immersive Environment, A Conversation with Behnaz Farahi
Breathing Wall 2.0, 2014. Wood structure, Spandex, flexible PVC rod, DC motors, leap motion device, and depth camera device, 8 x 12 ft. View of installation at iMAPpening 2014, University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts, Los Angeles.
