glenstone museum to present the exhibition fred sandback: light

GLENSTONEMUSEUMTOPRESENTTHEEXHIBITION
FREDSANDBACK:LIGHT,SPACE,FACTS,FEATURING
SCULPTURESANDDRAWINGSFROMEACHDECADEOFTHEARTIST’SCAREER
NewLandscapeToursofGlenstonetoBeOfferedtoAllExhibitionVisitors
GlenstonePartnerswithStrathmoreonMusicalProgramstoAccompanyExhibition
POTOMAC,MD,JULY21,2015—BeginningonSeptember30,2015,andcontinuing
throughsummer2016,GlenstoneMuseuminPotomac,Maryland,willdevoteall9,000
squarefeetofitsgalleryspacetoanexhibitionoftheworkofFredSandback(1943‐2003),
theAmericansculptorbestknownforhisimmersiveinstallationsmadefromacrylic,
store‐boughtyarn.FredSandback:Light,Space,Factswillbethefirstsoloexhibitioninthe
Washington,DCareaoftheartist’sworkandwillexploretheentirespectrumofhis
achievement,withdrawings,woodenreliefsandsteelsculpturesinadditiontothe
signatureyarninstallations.
FredSandbackwrotethateventhoughthe“groundedness”oftraditionalsculpture
appealedtohim,hechosetomovetoward“asculpturewhichbecamelessofathing‐in‐
itself,moreofadiffuseinterfacebetweenmyself,myenvironment,andotherspeopling
thatenvironment,builtofthinlinesthatleftenoughroomtomovethroughandaround.
Stillsculpture,thoughlessdense,withanambivalencebetweenexteriorandinterior.A
drawingthatishabitable.”Inthisway,thematerialfactsofSandback’syarninstallations
areinseparablefromtheirenvironments:thelightandspacethatsurroundandcomplete
them.
GreetingvisitorsinGlenstone’smainentrancegallerywillbeBroadwayBoogieWoogie
(SculpturalStudy,Twenty‐EightPartVerticalConstruction),1991/2006,anexpansive
installationofred,yellow,andblueacrylicyarnmadeinhomagetoartistPietMondrian’s
iconicpainting.ItwillserveasacompaniontoanotherMondrian‐inspiredworkinstalled
nearby,titledBlackPietAfterP.M.:CompositionwithRed,Yellow,Blue.1930.Dated2003,
thisdiminutivewallreliefismadeofblackpaintonplywood.Together,thesepiecesoffer
dynamicallydifferentexpressionsofSandback’sadmirationforMondrian.
Inadditiontoincludingseveralotherlarge‐scaleinstallationsfromSandback’slater
career,theGlenstoneexhibitionwillrepresentSandback’searlyachievementswithan
arrayofmateriallydiversesculptures,alwaysappliedwithastartlingeconomyofmeans.
Piecesfromthelate1960sincorporateelasticcordandsteelaswellasyarn.Untitled
(1968/1983),forexample,isafour‐partsculptureinacrylicprimeronthin,mild‐steel
rods.Theseworksexpandtheprevailingdiscussionofsculptureduringthe1960sand
1970s,thenanchoredintheheavy,machine‐madeobjectsassociatedwithMinimalism.In
tracingtheevolutionofSandback’swork,theyelegantlyminethefullpotentialoftheir
architecturalsurroundings,engagingGlenstone’scorners,floor,ceiling,andwalls.
InthewordsofDirectorandChiefCuratorEmilyWeiRales,“Glenstoneisdedicated
especiallytothemomentsofinnovationinmodernandcontemporaryart,whenanew
insightchangedtheworld’sideaofwhataworkofartcanbe.Withoutquestion,Fred
Sandbackwasoneofthosebreakthroughartists.Usingyarntooutlinegeometricvolumes
withinotherwiseemptyrooms,hecreatedinstallationsthatmayappearsimpleatfirst
buthavethepowertoalteryoursenseofwhereyouare,creatingcomplex,dynamic
perceptionsofthespaceallaroundyou.”
FredSandback:Light,Space,FactshasbeenorganizedbyEmilyWeiRales,withAnne
Reeve,AssistantCurator,incollaborationwiththeFredSandbackEstate.Allworksinthe
exhibitionarefromtheGlenstonecollection.
Inconjunctionwiththeexhibition,GlenstonewillpartnerwithStrathmore,themulti‐
disciplinaryartscenterinBethesda,Maryland,topresentaseriesofmusical
performancesinspiredbySandback’swork.Eachperformancewillbepresentedovertwo
dates,thefirstatAMPbyStrathmoreandthesecondatGlenstone,withdetailstobe
announcedatalaterdate.
Asanothernewinitiative,Glenstonewillofferallvisitorstotheexhibitiontheoptionof
alsotakingaone‐hourguidedtourofthelandscapeanditsoutdoorsculpture
installations.
AboutFredSandback
FredSandback(1943‐2003)wasborninBronxville,NewYork,andeducatedatYale
University,wherehereceivedhisB.A.inphilosophyandwentontostudysculptureinthe
SchoolofArtandArchitecture.HisearliestsoloexhibitionswereheldinGermany(the
sameyearthattheWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArtincludedhiminitsAnnual
Exhibition).
Hisearliestsolomuseumexhibitions,heldin1969atMuseumHausLange,Krefeldandin
1973attheKunsthalleBernwerefollowedbyexhibitionsatinstitutionsincludingThe
MuseumofModernArtandP.S.1(1978),theKunsthausZurich(1985),Städtische
KunsthalleinMannheim(1986),DiaArtFoundation(1988and1996),theContemporary
ArtsMuseumHoustonandtheYaleUniversityArtGallery(1989),theHenryMoore
InstituteandtheLannanFoundation(1999),theChinatiFoundation(2001)andMuseo
Tamayo(2002).PosthumousexhibitionshaveincludedthePinakothekderModernein
Munich(2003),KunstmuseumLiechtenstein(2003,andtour),WhitechapelArtGallery
(2011)andKunstmuseumWinterthur(2014,andtour).From1981through1996,theDia
ArtFoundationmaintainedamuseuminWinchendon,Massachusetts,dedicatedsolelyto
hiswork,andDia:Beaconkeepshisworkpermanentlyondisplay.
FredSandback’sworkisinnumerousinstitutionalcollections,includingtheMetropolitan
MuseumofArt,TheMuseumofModernArt,SolomonR.GuggenheimMuseum,Whitney
MuseumofAmericanArt,NationalGalleryofArt,HirshhornMuseumandSculpture
Garden,LibraryofCongress,ArtInstituteofChicago,MuseumofContemporaryArt
Chicago,LosAngelesCountyMuseumofArt,MenilCollection,SanFranciscoMuseumof
ModernArt,WalkerArtCenter,Albright‐KnoxArtGallery,MuséeNationald’ArtModerne
CentrePompidou,FondsNationald’ArtContemporain,RijksmuseumKröller‐Müller,
KunsthausZurichandMuseumfürModerneKunstinFrankfurtamMain.
AboutGlenstone
Glenstone,amuseumofmodernandcontemporaryart,isintegratedinto200acresof
gentlyrollingpastureandunspoiledwoodlandinMontgomeryCounty,Maryland,less
than15milesfromtheheartofWashington,DC.Establishedbythenot‐for‐profit
GlenstoneFoundation,themuseumopenedin2006andprovidesacontemplative,
intimatesettingforexperiencingiconicworksofartandarchitecturewithinanatural
environment.Glenstonepresentsextraordinaryoutdoorsculpturesandinstallations
withinalandscapedesignedbyPeterWalkerandPartnersandselectionsfromanart
collectionofsignificantdepthandbreadthinamuseumbuildingbythelateCharles
GwathmeyofGwathmeySiegel&AssociatesArchitects.Glenstoneiscurrentlyinthe
processofconstructingasecondmuseumbuilding,designedbyThomasPhifer,aswellas
anewpublicentrance,anentrypavilion,acaféandanexpandedlandscape.
AdmissiontoGlenstoneisfree.Visitsarescheduledbyreservationtoensureaserene
atmosphereforallguests.
DuringthepresentationofFredSandback:Light,Space,Facts,Glenstonewillbeopen
WednesdaythroughSaturdayfrom10:00amuntil5:00pm,withtoursoftheexhibition
scheduledbetweenthehoursof10:00amand3:00pm.Landscapetourswillbeoffered
everyhourasanaddedoptionforvisitorstotheexhibition.Toursmaybescheduledby
visitingtheGlenstonewebsiteat:www.glenstone.org/visit.
AboutStrathmore
Strathmoreisanonprofitmulti‐disciplinaryartscenterandpresenting
organizationbasedone‐halfmileoutsidetheCapitalBeltwayinNorthBethesda,
Maryland.BestknownforperformancesandeventsattheMusicCenteratStrathmore,the
organizationhasbeenpresentingaccessible,affordablevisualandperformingartsinthe
smallerMansionatStrathmoreandalloverits16‐acresitesince1981.Strathmorealso
presentsthroughoutthecommunityandatanew250‐seatvenue,AMP,atPike&
Rose.TheMusicCenteratStrathmoreishometoseveralartsandeducationpartners
includingtheBaltimoreSymphonyOrchestra,TheNationalPhilharmonic,Washington
PerformingArts,LevineMusic,CityDance,InterPLAYandMarylandClassicYouth
Orchestras.Formoreinformation:www.strathmore.organd
www.AMPbyStrathmore.com.
MediaContact
JenniferEssen
[email protected]
(212)593‐5881