拍品專文
Steel-Magnesiun Plain, as its title suggests, is as much a place, a space, or a territory as it is an object. A series of metal tiles placed on the floor in an alternating checkerboard pattern, the work essentially creates a space that is energized through its own materiality for as Carl Andre has often pointed out, these works are often less seen than experienced, or, perhaps, he has hinted, even felt.
In this respect, the alternating of the steel and the magnesium plates in this work is not just a visual device. In combining these two metals in a checkerboard pattern Andre is not only attempting to draw attention to the very different material qualities of the two metals but also attempting a small act of alchemy. Believing that the material nature of these squares can be experienced merely by standing on them, this combination of metals is an attempt by the artist to energize the space above the sculpture using nothing more than the overt power of its very material presence.
Installation view of Carl Andre, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1974 c Carl Andre/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY
In this respect, the alternating of the steel and the magnesium plates in this work is not just a visual device. In combining these two metals in a checkerboard pattern Andre is not only attempting to draw attention to the very different material qualities of the two metals but also attempting a small act of alchemy. Believing that the material nature of these squares can be experienced merely by standing on them, this combination of metals is an attempt by the artist to energize the space above the sculpture using nothing more than the overt power of its very material presence.
Installation view of Carl Andre, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1974 c Carl Andre/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY