1. art and entertainment

B. Wurtz
Works in Handmade Paper 2013-2015
April 30 – June 6, 2015
Opening reception Thursday, April 30, 6-8pm
Dieu Donné is pleased to present an exhibition of new works in handmade
paper by B. Wurtz created in the studio during the artist’s Lab Grant Program residency. The artist’s unique two-and-three-dimensional artworks will
be on view in the Dieu Donné gallery from April 30 to June 6, 2015. There
will be an opening reception on Thursday, April 30 from 6-8pm and the artist
will be present. A full color Lab Grant Publication will accompany the exhibition featuring an essay by art critic and historian Jan Avgikos.
Food, clothing, and shelter are the three basic human needs that compose
a running theme seen throughout B. Wurtz’s career, and are manifested
in several bodies of works that were produced in his Lab Grant residency.
As Avgikos writes in her enlightening catalog essay, the humble objects
frequently seen in his work are “set in soft collision with deluxe handmade
paper, which in and of itself is a powerful sensual and signifying presence,”
bringing together mass produced found items and handcrafted materials.
Working in collaboration with Artistic Director Paul Wong and Studio Collaborator Lisa Switalski, Wurtz’s residency spanned 2013-2015. Certain sculptural forms and materials common to the artist’s practice, as well as insignias
seen in his art since the 1990’s, were translated and adapted in the medium
of handmade paper. Wurtz’s aptitude for experimentation and working collaboratively in a medium that was new to him is evident in the energetic and
often humorous works that were produced in this residency.
Wurtz’s Food-Clothing-Shelter logo was re-created in stenciled linen pulp
on thin sheets of pigmented abaca formed to mimic small plastic shopping
bags, and affixed to pulp covered wire hangers. The letters l-i-f-e, arranged
in the composition of a human face, was created as a watermark to pull thin
sheets of vibrant abaca paper and pressed onto cotton base sheets, with
linen pulp painting on top.
Paper plays an essential role in each type of work - from its ability to imitate
the natural sheaths of fruits and vegetables or commercial grocery bags - to
the particularities of the medium’s various creative applications. Wurtz used
pulp paint and different types of paper to embed and collage plastic lids and
bags, newsprint grocery store circulars and New York Times articles. As a
sculptural process, metal light switches were embossed into brightly colored
cotton, and styrofoam balls and bowls were cast in cotton to create components in free-standing structures.
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Flynn at 212-226-0573 or [email protected].
315 West 36th Street
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About the Artist
B. Wurtz was born in Pasadena, California and since 1985 has lived and worked
in New York City. He received a BA from the University of California at Berkeley in 1970 and an MFA from California Institute of the Arts in 1980. Recent solo
exhibitions include Metro Pictures, New York; Kate MacGarry, London; Galerija
Gregor Podnar, Berlin; Maisterravalbuena, Madrid; White Flag Projects, St. Louis;
Kunstverein Freiburg, Germany; and the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Connecticut. Wurtz’s work has been included in the recent group exhibitions Displayed
(curated by Matthew Higgs) at Anton Kern Gallery, New York; Jim Isermann/B.
Wurtz at Mary Boone Gallery, New York; Stay in Love (curated by Chris Sharp) at
Laurel Gitlen & Lisa Cooley Gallery, New York; Alexandre da Cunha, Michael Rey,
Michael Williams, B. Wurtz at Office Baroque in Antwerp, Belgium; and Prague
Biennial in the Czech Republic. A solo museum exhibition with publication will
take place in 2015 at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, England.
About Dieu Donné
Dieu Donné is a non-profit contemporary artist workspace dedicated to the
creation, promotion, and preservation of new art made using hand papermaking
techniques. The organization’s primary services and programs are devoted to
working with mid-career and emerging artists through collaborative residency
opportunities. The Dieu Donné gallery is open to the public Tuesday - Friday, 10
am - 6pm and Saturday 12 - 6pm or by appointment.
Images
Above: B. Wurtz working in the Dieu Donné wet studio.
Reverse Top: Untitled (7820), 2013. Watermarked, pigmented abaca
with linen pulp paint on cotton base sheet. 24 x 18 inches.
Reverse Bottom: Untitled (7913), 2015. Cast kozo with string on wire
and found wooden commercial chopping board. 10 ½ x 13 x 5 ½
inches.
Support
The artistic and educational programs at Dieu Donné are made possible with
public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State
Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the
New York State Legislature, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
in partnership with the City Council; and Foundation support including: Lily
Auchincloss Foundation, Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Inc, Bloomberg
Philanthropies, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, The Greenwall Foundation,
Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The Minnow Fund, The New York Community
Trust, The O’Grady Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts and
The Partnership Fund for New York City along with major individual support.