'All the things I know...1962 to the present' features works from six decades of the artist's career. Among the exhibition's highlights are two new site-specific window and wall pieces and the groundbreaking early works.
Robert Barry: All the things I know…1962 to the present examines the art of Robert Barry (b. 1936, American), an artist widely regarded as one of the founders of American Conceptualism. Since the 1960s, Barry has investigated the conditions of art and perception and explored the evocative and communicative properties of words. He has used radio waves, inert gases, and even telepathy to question traditional assumptions about art and expand its possibilities.
Marking the first major solo exhibition of Barry's work by an academic institution in New York—and the first in the United States in 30 years—Robert Barry: All the things I know…1962 to the present features works from six decades of the artist's career. Among the exhibition's highlights are two new site-specific window and wall pieces and the groundbreaking early works Electromagnetic Energy Field (1968), Closed Gallery (1969), Inert Gas Series: Helium (1969), Marcuse Piece (1972), and Invitation Piece (1972–73). A new variation of a continuing performance piece by Barry is also included and will be performed for the first time by students. Running for the duration of the exhibition, this performance showcases Barry's longstanding interest in exploring the temporal dimension of art and continues his history of artistic collaborations with Hunter College students, which began when he taught at the college in the 1960s and 1970s.
In conjunction with Robert Barry: All the things I know…1962 to the present, Barry will be the spring 2015 Judith Zabar Visiting Artist at Hunter College. The Judith Zabar Visiting Artist program allows Hunter to bring a series of internationally recognized artists to campus to work directly with students in the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and Master of Arts (MA) programs, providing students with a unique opportunity to interact with top practitioners in their fields. Barry will engage with students through master classes, critical seminars, workshops, and private tutorials. He will additionally give a public lecture on his work.
Robert Barry: All the things I know…1962 to the present is organized by Max Weintraub, Hunter College Visiting Assistant Professor; and Sarah Watson, Hunter College Art Galleries Acting Director and Curator; and Annie Wischmeyer, Assistant Curator. Additional exhibition support is provided by Jenn Bratovich, Tatiana Mourarbes, Jordon Schranz, and Jocelyn Spaar.
Image: Robert Barry working on an installation at the Joslyn Museum, Omaha, Nebraska, September 1980. Photo: Holly Day. Courtesy of the artist
Press Contact: Annie Wischmeyer awischme@hunter.cuny.edu
Opening: February 5, 6–8pm
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