I’ve been reading about Robert Irwin a light and space artist in the book ‘Seeing is forgetting the name of the thing one sees’ written by Lawrence Weschler, the book illustrates 30 years of interviews with Irwin. In which he talks about growing up in La becoming a painter before moving on to more physical structures and is a great way to explore the evolution of somebody’s practices, where he moved on from painting into these great big installation room pieces.
I found the book relatable as it is also putting light on the way I work and where I want to be as an artist, he moved on from painting which started with exploring the space within the canvas which began an obsession with space.
I found this relatable as my practice revolves around space and has moved on from video art in a more installation-based way of working still incorporating video but film being an element than at the fore front of what I do.
Irwin also talked about finding the aesthetic which with him began with cars in the 40’s and the maintenance of cars inspired the way he works and some similar happened with me looking at buildings and road bollards the way these structures were painted, built, or broken in the middle of the road and the way they occupied the space started to take over the way I thought about things.
Irwin showed me what work and shows could be like without limits what you can do in a space.
For example, above is “1° 2° 3° 4°”a piece of irwin’s work that shows the space becoming the work. This piece involves Apertures cut into existing windows to have a space in 4 dimensions. height, width, depth and time.
As well as the central garden at the Getty centre Irwin was allowed to build a garden as piece of work in Getty centre.
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I think the question that Irwin asks and is ask is what is the art within the space work? Aswell as how a physical piece becomes not existent in the space?
Which is something I strongly want to push within my practice as I work on similar themes of non-existence and space and how to make it on a big scale but still be authentic to the subject and figure and to myself and the origin of my practice.