This is the same guy who invited people to exhibitions at closed galleries the invitations simply read: “During the exhibition the gallery will be closed.” Among other things, the gesture was indifferent to spectacle, symptomatic of the artist’s modest (if brilliant) approach to institutional critique, if we can even call it that. There are a handful of charmingly nondescript photographs and a poster to prove that he did it. In 1969, at the height of conceptual art, Barry famously released the five noble gasses - helium, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon - into the atmosphere around L.A. Enameled and etched glass, edition of 15, 30 x 30 inches. Robert Barry, Turquoise Mirrorpiece, 2020. But what is the relationship between their first, often bold, steps in the art world, their association with 20th-century avant-garde movements like conceptual art and minimalism, and what we see now? Does their latest work meditate on the same things? How has their process developed or changed? These shows are not retrospectives, so it is fair to ask: are Puryear and Barry still of the moment? Despite their stylistic differences, Barry and Puryear share a similar goal: to include us in their respective inquiries into the nature of mind and liberty, but not do the work for us.īarry and Puryear have been among the more successful experimental artists in recent memory. Still, these shows pose a challenge that it is hard not to love, partly because they both set out to defy instant gratification. And while Martin Puryear’s exquisitely printed shapes and patterns are more immediately rewarding, they make their considerable demands as well. Photo courtesy of Krakow Witkin GalleryĪt first glance, Robert Barry’s acrylic text paintings offer little in the way of painterly pleasures.
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