NEW YORK, NY.- Bill Bollinger’s sculpture activates the readymade tradition using a variety of materials like water, stone, wood, pipe and containers to directly express force – particularly gravity – and process. Bollinger originally studied aeronautical engineering at Brown University and turned to art when he moved to New York City in 1961. Focusing on the gesture of construction and the physical limits of material, his work addressed ideas of gravity, balance, and material nature.

In his works, Bollinger made frequent use of standard industrially fabricated products. The artist explained his approach: “I only do what it is necessary to do. There is no reason to use color, to polish, to bend, to weld, if it is not necessary to do so.” Given their extemporaneous nature, much of Bollinger’s sculpture pieces are reconstructed for the purpose of this exhibition.

Isa’s Flower, first exhibited in Water is life and like art it finds its own level, Bollinger’s 1970 solo exhibition at Galleria Sperone, is installed in the gallery alongside the certificate drawing for the barrel/water pieces in the early Sperone show. He consistently used little-altered industrial materials, often leaving them resolutely uncivil. Bollinger utilized water-filled industrial barrels to explore the theme of the water level and how it is affected by gravity. With the goal of giving form to physical laws, the water levels in each barrel are identical. He was interested “in finding a grounding element for sculpture other than the actual earth surface (or the floor) because work tied to such a reference could not be self-contained.” Bollinger’s investigations of materiality, temporality and commodity were challenging, daring, and largely influential.

For further research please refer to Bill Bollinger. Water is Life and Like Art it Finds its own Level, edited by Christiane Meyer-Stoll, Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Vaduz, and printed in Köln, Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König 2011.