Gagosian opens an exhibition of ceramic works by the late John Mason

The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Thursday, March 28, 2024


Gagosian opens an exhibition of ceramic works by the late John Mason
Crosses, Three of a Kind, 2004. Ceramic, in 3 parts, each: 33 x 26 x 26 inches, 83.8 x 66 x 66 cm. Overall dimensions variable © 2004 Estate of John Mason. All Rights Reserved. Photo: Jeff McLane. Courtesy Gagosian.



NEW YORK, NY.- Gagosian is presenting Geometric Force, an exhibition of ceramic works by the late John Mason.

One of the most visionary ceramic artists of the last century, Mason brought his medium into conversation with Abstract Expressionism by extending the physical and spatial properties of clay. He began his career on the West Coast in the 1950s, as part of a group of artists who studied with the pioneering ceramist Peter Voulkos at the Otis Art Institute, Los Angeles. Mason and his contemporaries challenged conventional ideas about ceramics, making large, abstract, subversive works. Mason worked at scale, his wall reliefs and expressionistic sculptural works matching the ambitious painting and sculpture of the era. In his Los Angeles studio, which he shared for a time with Voulkos, they began employing industrial techniques and technologies: humidifiers from fruit packing plants, which allowed clay to stay pliable for longer periods of time; heavy-duty dough mixers; and a custom-built kiln that enabled him to fire works six feet in height, often using up to two tons of clay at a time.

Mason showed frequently at the renowned Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles during the 1950s and ’60s—including in the gallery’s inaugural exhibition, and four solo exhibitions—and exhibited consistently in the United States over the following decades. He saw a resurgence of interest in his work later in his life, and participated in exhibitions such as Pacific Standard Time: Crosscurrents in L.A. Painting and Sculpture, 1950–1970 at the Getty Center in 2011–12 and the Whitney Biennial in 2014. In recent years, contemporary artists as diverse as Shio Kusaka, Sterling Ruby, Ed Ruscha, and Jonas Wood have cited him as an important influence.

The works in this exhibition, which span Mason’s early career to the years preceding his death at age ninety-one in 2019, attest to the range and vocabulary of his innovation and experimentation in clay. Standing almost six feet tall, Orange Cross (1963) is glazed in a rich hue that recalls the desert landscape of Nevada, where Mason grew up. These earthy tones, along with shades of blue reminiscent of an open sky, recur throughout his work. Orange Cross encapsulates many of Mason’s evolving concerns, including tensions between geometry and materiality, and open and closed forms. Smaller works demonstrate his ability to shift his scope in terms of form and scale. His “orbs” are made from geometric circles and right angles, fitting together in modular formation with no single beginning, end, top, or bottom.

Often cited as a contributor to the “revolution in clay,” Mason changed the perception of the medium from craft into fine art, mixing Western and Eastern influences. The material result is something completely sui generis and hard to trace—untethered to a single genre or movement, yet related to many.

Rotation is a form of symmetry. The most common forms of symmetry are reflection, which most people think of as bilateral; rotation; inversion; and translation, which is just moving an object in a line. . . . But the thing about symmetry is it’s invisible. It does not proclaim itself. It’s there, you know, and it has a structural reality. —John Mason










Today's News

January 11, 2020

Gold bar found in Mexico was Aztec treasure: study

Schantz Galleries presents works by Lino Tagliapietra at Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary

William Shakespeare's First Folio to be auctioned at Christie's

Jan Lievens masterpiece featuring Rembrandt as model to be offered at Sotheby's

The Museum of Modern Art launches free online course titled What Is Contemporary Art?

303 Gallery opens its second solo exhibition of new work by Kim Gordon

Neil Peart, drummer for Rush, dies at 67

Anne Mosseri-Marlio Galerie presents "Patterns": A group show

State Museum transfers ownership of cornplanter's pipe tomahawk to Seneca Nation of Indians

French court orders 52mn euro payout in 'Mona Lisa' Ferrari battle

'Elliot Norquist: Mail Room' opens at Charlotte Jackson Fine Art

Gagosian opens an exhibition of ceramic works by the late John Mason

Pinakothek der Moderne announces the death of Florian Hufnagl

A Director making his mark in more ways than one

Exhibition of new ceramic sculptures by Zachary Leener opens at Klaus Gallery

Not just crawling across the art world

Peru to plant one million trees around Machu Picchu

Trio of appointments strengthens Cheffins team

Philippe Cognée focuses on flowers in exhibition at Galerie Templon

Alasdair Gray, Scottish author of daring prose, dies at 85

Restored synagogue heralds new chapter for Egypt's Jews

signs and symbols opens a solo exhibition by Annabel Daou

24 years later, Roberto Alagna steps back into 'Bohème' at the Met

Mayor to name Paris street after David Bowie

Las señales que aseguran un juego seguro en los casinos online

Gaming Technology Predictions for 2020 and Beyond




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez

sa gaming free credit
Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful