Things have quickly been falling into place for the show I am curating for the artdc gallery in Hyattsville. The show will be titled Material World and will focus on artists who use non-traditional materials or tradition materials in non-standard ways to produce their work.
I've been reading the writings, lectures, etc of Philip Guston over the past week or so and he alludes to a special thing that occurs when you're not sure how a work was made and that you stop concerning yourself with that. The finest work takes on a life of its own and its production eludes the viewer and sometimes it maker. The artists I have selected for this show make work that must be taken on its own terms. The work is not about the material or technique yet they are integral to our experience of the work. While the viewer will inevitably wonder how these pieces where made, with appreciation for the craft involved- in the end, we are left to contemplate these works on their own merits.
