An Installation Story
When Aurora Robson was commissioned by Noble Energy to complete a massive suspended sculpture, we knew we would get something astonishing, and we were correct. One year and over 6000 water bottles later, Plant Perception greets visitors and employees in Noble Energy’s two-story lobby. The piece can be appreciated from outside the building, in the main lobby and thoroughfare, and most especially, from inside an adjoining
cantilevered conference room. Within the conference room, the piece surrounds the viewer on two sides, enabling a close examination of the media. And the media is what surprises most: 6000 water bottles of various sizes, riveted together and floating in mid air from mono-filament. The effect is both magical and unsettling, engaging the viewer in the creative process and material of the sculpture.
Employees at Noble enjoyed the opportunity to see Plant Perception, which is loosely based on underground tree roots, come to life. Robson and her team installed on site for 5 days, starting with the central trunk and building on the root system slowly to completion. Robson was also able to speak with employees about her process and work. Here at MKG, we are proud to have facilitated the selection, commission, and installation of this extraordinary work of art.
MKG’s Must See:
Dario Robleto, another one of our favorite Houston artists on the national scene, has an important exhibition at The Menil. Commissioned by The Menil Collection and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, The Boundary of Life is Quietly Crossed explores ideas of transcendence through amalgamations of artifacts from the bottoms of oceans, to outer space, to the human body itself. Dario always intrigues with his suggestions of eternity through the aural language of music, visual language of objects, and story telling by suggestion and memory. https://www.menil.org/exhibitions.html
One of the worlds leading contemporary art fairs, Freize London opens October 15th in Regents Park. With blue-chip dealers coming to London from around the world, the annual art fair always presents impressive works of art. Here are works we are excited to see.
- New York artist Daniel Lefcourt’s deep emerald urethane paintings invite the viewer to explore their complex array of materials, modeling, and mechanical processes. Daniel Lefcourt’s artwork can be seen at Mitchell-Innes & Nash.
- Jeppe Hein has gained significant attention in recent years for his highly-polished, mirrored sculptures. His installations are activated by the viewer’s participation, whether by pedaling a bike that powers a suspended mobile, or by casting a reflection in the sculpture’s surface. Jeppe Hein’s artwork can be seen at 303 Gallery.
- From Germany, with her MFA from Columbia University, Kerstin Brätsch’s large-scale, abstract oils are executed on thick pieces of paper
and magnetically adhered to the wall. Her works contradict the expected in scale, medium and installation. Kerstin Brätsch’s artwork can be seen at Gavin Brown Enterprise. - Mary Weatherford’s large abstract paintings are inspired by the undulating, weathered coastline of the California landscape. Weatherford primarily works with paint on canvas, but occasionally incorporates neon, starfish, and shells into her work. Mary Weatherford’s artwork can be seen at David Kordansky.
- Fred Tomaselli is widely known for his intricate collages utilizing abstract patterns, human figures, natural forms, and a slew of unorthodox materials. His sumptuous compositions hearken to medieval tapestries and psychedelic visions. Fred Tomaselli’s artwork can be seen at White Cube.
- Architect turned artist Tomás Saraceno employs complex engineering, materials, and science in his artwork. Saraceno’s use of materials and scale engage his audience in exploring the morphology of soap, spider webs, neural networks and cloud formations. Tomas Saraceno’s artwork can seen at Esther Schipper.
After Freize…
Take in the almost 900,000 poppies by Paul Cummins and Tom Piper at the Tower of London, memorializing the British soldiers killed in WWI. The installation is beautiful and poignant and up until November 11, which is the centenary of the start of WWI. And since you are walking distance to St. Paul’s Cathedral, Gerry Judah’s WWI memorial in the nave is equaling moving, not to mention the fantastic Bill Viola video in the South aisle with a theme of martyrdom. Not that we want you to be sad while visiting London, but we are always impressed by artists such as Robleto, Cummins and Viola who grapple with transcendence . . . and we all could use a little of that.
