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Heavy metal: Richard Serra’s weighty installations at Gagosian Gallery, NY
Richard Serra's New York City exhibition, showcased at two Gagosian Gallery locations downtown, continues his exploration of oversized forged and rusted steel to create powerful, Pharaonic forms. The article focuses on key installations, highlighting their physical presence and the viewer's interaction with the artworks.
At the gallery's 21st Street location, the centerpiece is 'NJ-1,' a walk-through installation from 2015. This piece consists of enormous four-meter rusted sheets of weatherproof steel, forming two semi-attached oblongs. These structures evoke the image of an industrial tanker or a ship run aground, consistent with Serra's recurring motifs. Visitors navigating this cathedral-like space experience a sense of dislocation, akin to exploring a forbidden relic of massive scale. The design of 'NJ-1' actively compels viewers to re-evaluate their relationship with the artwork, emphasizing an immersive and interactive experience rather than passive observation.
The 24th Street Gagosian location hosts a different array of Serra's work, including three solid steel slab installations—'Above Below Betwixt Between,' 'Every Which Way,' and 'Silence (for John Cage)'—alongside a drawing. 'Silence (for John Cage)' is particularly notable, featuring an 80-ton forged steel slab positioned horizontally. This minimalist artwork dominates the luminous white gallery space, exuding a primitive and raw quality that confers an almost overwhelming physical presence upon the viewer. The other works in this series expand on the same thematic approach, utilizing various configurations of steel slabs to delve into the artist's concepts of weight, balance, and spatial dynamics.
Among these, 'Every Which Way' stands out. This installation comprises 16 foot-thick slabs arranged on a rectangular grid at three different heights. Walking through this arrangement, visitors might feel as though they are participating in a processional movement, reminiscent of a funereal procession. This effect serves as a compelling counterpoint to the other works and to 'NJ-1,' underscoring the powerful material presence that defines Serra's art. The exhibition collectively offers a profound engagement with the artist’s characteristic use of materials and scale, inviting introspection on space and human perception.
Both exhibitions, 'Richard Serra: Above Below Betwixt Between, Every Which Way, Silence (For John Cage), Through' and 'NJ-1,' were on view until 29 July, providing a comprehensive look at Serra’s ongoing artistic endeavors in New York.
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