Frank Gehry - and the Artists of Venice Beach : arcspace.com

West!
Frank Gehry and the
Artists of Venice Beach
1962-1978
Weisman Art Museum
Minneapolis, MN, USA

May 14 through September 11, 2005

Frank Gehry and the Venice Beach artists stand as explorers and innovators in a time and a place that led the way into a new mind set about the way we understand and live in the world.

The exhibition, curated by Frank Gehry, features the work of sixteen artists whose work influenced the early development of his architectural career.

Photo courtesy Gehry Partners, LLP

Designed by Frank Gehry the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum was inaugurated in 1993. The museum’s glimmering residence, along the Mississippi River, has become a landmark for the University of Minnesota and the Twin Cities.

Photo courtesy Weisman Art Museum

The artists all worked in or around Venice, California, known to insiders as “Venice Beach,” between 1962, when Gehry opened his first independent architectural practice in California, and 1978 when he completed his residence in Santa Monica and embarked on what was to become his signature style.

Photo courtesy Gehry Partners, LLP

In the 1960s Venice, California, was a freethinking, low rent district on the ocean that attracted artists and young radicals from across the nation. Always slightly on the margin, the artists who gravitated there were experimental and a bit irreverent. Focused on blurring the boundaries between different media, such as painting and sculpture or sculpture and architecture, and playing with non-traditional materials, such as industrial metals, plastics, and junk, this community of artists provided the inspiration and support that Gehry was not able to garner from the local architectural establishment. These Venice artists also explored light and space, elements to become hallmarks of Gehry’s architecture.

Often cited by Gehry himself as his supportive and inspirational community, the group of artists with whom Gehry interacted most included Peter Alexander, John Altoon, Charles Arnoldi, Larry Bell, Tony Berlant, Billy Al Bengston, Vija Celmins, Ronald Davis, Guy Dill, Laddie John Dill, Robert Graham, Robert Irwin, Ed Moses, Ken Price, Ed Ruscha, and De Wain Valentine.

Gehry felt a natural affinity with Peter Alexander because Alexander had studied architecture as well as art. In the 1960s and 1970s Alexander worked with a variety of non-traditional art materials, including cast polyester resin, velvet, and glitter.

Peter Alexander
Untitled (Wedge) ca. 1968
Cast Polyester Resin

Using ordinary materials such as rope, twine, and twigs, Charles Arnoldi draws in space. He blurs the distinction between drawing and sculpture and uses common materials in unexpected ways-much like Gehry does with chain-link fencing, plywood, Formica, and stainless steel.

Charles Arnoldi
Television, 1971
Enamel on wood

Guy Dill’s work is made of individual fir blocks held in suspension by a single rope threaded through eyehooks on the blocks and attached to the wall. The result is a taut bridge-like structure, protruding sixteen feet into space. Gehry recalls his first interaction with this work as a revelatory experience. He realized what was, in fact, a structure-something well known to him as an architect-could also be a work of art.

Guy Dill
Untitled, 1971
Douglas Fir on Manila Line

In the process of designing a house for Ed Ruscha, Gehry found out that Ruscha did not like “designed” buildings, inspiring Gehry to help him implement, rather than design, a house in the desert through a collaborative process; a process that distinguishes Gehry’s relationships with clients. Ruscha’s paintings and prints incorporate words and phrases. They carry on the simultaneous satire and celebration of American consumer society of the pop art movement.

Ed Ruscha
America Her Best Product, about 1975-76
Lithograph

Laddie John Dill is interested in the light cast on different surfaces from neon and argon tubing. In the 1970s Dill worked more with architectural materials such as plate glass and steel. Dill’s use of industrial and architectural materials and processes inspired Gehry to continue his own experimentation with common but untraditional materials.

Laddie John Dill
Light Sentence, 1970
Glass tubing, argon gas with mercury, and metal

Most of the architecture Gehry was working on in the years between 1962 and 1978 was commercial in nature. The restrictions of such work did not allow for the play and experimentation that would eventually distinguish his trademark style. Gehry made a self-conscious choice during these years to work in two veins simultaneously, taking on, in addition to the big commercial clients, several small, more creatively challenging projects such as the Hollywood studio/ residence he designed for graphic designer Lou Danziger in 1964.

Photo courtesy Gehry Partners, LLP

From 1968 to 1972, Gehry worked closely with artist, Ron Davis, on his Malibu studio and residence.

Photo courtesy Gehry Partners, LLP

Working with an artist as a client, Gehry found a kind of freedom and collaboration that became the foundation for his later work with clients who were in tune with Gehry’s innovative approach to architectural design.

The Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum

Frank Gehry arcspace features

June 6, 2005





		Exhibition		Features
		West! Frank Gehry and the Artists of Venice Beach 1962-1978 Weisman Art Museum Minneapolis, MN, USA May 14 through September 11, 2005 Frank Gehry and the Venice Beach artists stand as explorers and innovators in a time and a place that led the way into a new mind set about the way we understand and live in the world. The exhibition, curated by Frank Gehry, features the work of sixteen artists whose work influenced the early development of his architectural career. Photo courtesy Gehry Partners, LLP Designed by Frank Gehry the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum was inaugurated in 1993. The museum’s glimmering residence, along the Mississippi River, has become a landmark for the University of Minnesota and the Twin Cities. Photo courtesy Weisman Art Museum The artists all worked in or around Venice, California, known to insiders as “Venice Beach,” between 1962, when Gehry opened his first independent architectural practice in California, and 1978 when he completed his residence in Santa Monica and embarked on what was to become his signature style. Photo courtesy Gehry Partners, LLP In the 1960s Venice, California, was a freethinking, low rent district on the ocean that attracted artists and young radicals from across the nation. Always slightly on the margin, the artists who gravitated there were experimental and a bit irreverent. Focused on blurring the boundaries between different media, such as painting and sculpture or sculpture and architecture, and playing with non-traditional materials, such as industrial metals, plastics, and junk, this community of artists provided the inspiration and support that Gehry was not able to garner from the local architectural establishment. These Venice artists also explored light and space, elements to become hallmarks of Gehry’s architecture. Often cited by Gehry himself as his supportive and inspirational community, the group of artists with whom Gehry interacted most included Peter Alexander, John Altoon, Charles Arnoldi, Larry Bell, Tony Berlant, Billy Al Bengston, Vija Celmins, Ronald Davis, Guy Dill, Laddie John Dill, Robert Graham, Robert Irwin, Ed Moses, Ken Price, Ed Ruscha, and De Wain Valentine. Gehry felt a natural affinity with Peter Alexander because Alexander had studied architecture as well as art. In the 1960s and 1970s Alexander worked with a variety of non-traditional art materials, including cast polyester resin, velvet, and glitter. Peter Alexander Untitled (Wedge) ca. 1968 Cast Polyester Resin Using ordinary materials such as rope, twine, and twigs, Charles Arnoldi draws in space. He blurs the distinction between drawing and sculpture and uses common materials in unexpected ways-much like Gehry does with chain-link fencing, plywood, Formica, and stainless steel. Charles Arnoldi Television, 1971 Enamel on wood Guy Dill’s work is made of individual fir blocks held in suspension by a single rope threaded through eyehooks on the blocks and attached to the wall. The result is a taut bridge-like structure, protruding sixteen feet into space. Gehry recalls his first interaction with this work as a revelatory experience. He realized what was, in fact, a structure-something well known to him as an architect-could also be a work of art. Guy Dill Untitled, 1971 Douglas Fir on Manila Line In the process of designing a house for Ed Ruscha, Gehry found out that Ruscha did not like “designed” buildings, inspiring Gehry to help him implement, rather than design, a house in the desert through a collaborative process; a process that distinguishes Gehry’s relationships with clients. Ruscha’s paintings and prints incorporate words and phrases. They carry on the simultaneous satire and celebration of American consumer society of the pop art movement. Ed Ruscha America Her Best Product, about 1975-76 Lithograph Laddie John Dill is interested in the light cast on different surfaces from neon and argon tubing. In the 1970s Dill worked more with architectural materials such as plate glass and steel. Dill’s use of industrial and architectural materials and processes inspired Gehry to continue his own experimentation with common but untraditional materials. Laddie John Dill Light Sentence, 1970 Glass tubing, argon gas with mercury, and metal Most of the architecture Gehry was working on in the years between 1962 and 1978 was commercial in nature. The restrictions of such work did not allow for the play and experimentation that would eventually distinguish his trademark style. Gehry made a self-conscious choice during these years to work in two veins simultaneously, taking on, in addition to the big commercial clients, several small, more creatively challenging projects such as the Hollywood studio/ residence he designed for graphic designer Lou Danziger in 1964. Photo courtesy Gehry Partners, LLP From 1968 to 1972, Gehry worked closely with artist, Ron Davis, on his Malibu studio and residence. Photo courtesy Gehry Partners, LLP Working with an artist as a client, Gehry found a kind of freedom and collaboration that became the foundation for his later work with clients who were in tune with Gehry’s innovative approach to architectural design. The Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum Frank Gehry arcspace features June 6, 2005