MASSIMODECARLO

With A Line Of Graphite / Con una linea di grafite

Lawrence Weiner

Dates

08.05.2008 | 28.06.2008

Location

Massimo De Carlo, Milano

‘WITH A LINE OF GRAPHITE/CON UNA LINEA DI GRAFITE’ is the title of the exhibition that Lawrence Weiner presents at the Galleria Massimo De Carlo – a show of sculptures based on the materiality of a pencil line. It is also the work on the entrance wall that welcomes all visitors that approach the Gallery. Weiner, one of the central figures of Conceptual art, was born 1942, in the Bronx, New York. He currently lives and works between New York and Amsterdam. The wall installations that have been a primary medium for him since the 1960s consist of words in a nondescript lettering painted on walls, which investigates the relationship between human beings and objects – most often common objects found in daily life, such as steel, iron, wood. Although this body of work focuses on the potential for language to serve as an art form, the subjects of his epigrammatic statements are often materials, or a physical action or process, as exemplified by such works as ‘MODIFIED/MODERATED WITH A LINE OF GRAPHITE’ or ‘TRACES OF GRAPHITE USED TO REPRESENT SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF ITSELF’. In 1968, Weiner created a small book entitled Statements; as the work consisted of nothing but words, there was no reason to display a physical object. Since then, the artist has continued to explore the creative possibilities of language, and he has definitely turned to language as the primary vehicle for his work. Recent retrospective exhibitions of the artist’s work have been mounted at the MoCA in Los Angeles and at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. With their almost poetic precision, his statements often resemble other forms of public written inscription, such as signage, placards, or even advertising, yet they insist on being read differently: on being read as sculptures.

Artist

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Lawrence Weiner

Lawrence Weiner was an American artist born in 1942, in the Bronx, New York. He is best known for his contributions to the conceptual art movement, a genre that emerged in the 1960s and focused on the idea behind the artwork rather than the physical object. Weiner's work often involves the use of language as a medium, and he is considered a pioneer in the use of text-based art.

Weiner's early career was influenced by his work as a mover and his exposure to the diverse neighborhoods of New York City. In the 1960s, he became associated with the Fluxus movement and began experimenting with the use of language in art. One of his significant contributions during this period was the formulation of his famous statement: "The artist may construct the piece. The piece may be fabricated. The piece need not be built." This statement encapsulates his emphasis on the conceptual aspect of art, where the idea itself is the artwork, and it can be realized in various forms.

Weiner's work often takes the form of installations, sculptures, and public art projects, all incorporating language as a central element.

Throughout his career, Lawrence Weiner has created works that challenged traditional notions of art and engaged viewers in a thoughtful exploration of language and meaning.

His works are featured in renowned institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Tate Modern in London, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.