What's Pictured: (Above) Orly Genger (American, b. 1979),
Straddle, 2012, aluminum, 23 x 9 x 7 inches;
Art © Orly Genger / Image: Photo315
Orly Genger (American, b. 1979) is known for her large, hand-knotted rope constructions that stem from the craft
traditions of knitting and crocheting, while also responding to twentieth-century Modernist painting, Land Art, and Minimalist sculpture. Typically site-specific, these rope pieces are labor intensive and can take months to produce. In 2011, while working on a massive installation for New York’s Madison Square Park that took more than two years to complete, Genger felt compelled to explore the visual language of her rope sculptures on a smaller scale. Turning to a foundry for assistance, she started to make cast sculptures in a variety of materials, including bronze, stainless steel, and aluminum, among others. Genger has called these tabletop pieces “gestures” and “drawings,” referencing the role that she believes intuition plays in creating them.
What's Pictured: (Right) Orly Genger (American, b. 1979),
Bender, 2014, bronze, 7 x 6 ½ x 7 inches; Art © Orly Genger / Image: Photo315
The final exhibition in the inaugural year of Joslyn’s Karen and Doug Riley Contemporary Artists Project Gallery will feature ten of Genger’s cast sculptures made over the last two years, in addition to an intricate ink drawing of interwoven human limbs. In the adjoining permanent collection gallery, visitors will encounter a pair of the artist’s painted rope pieces —
Lynn and
Lee (both 2010). Each measuring six feet in height, these sculptures will create a dialogue with important work from Joslyn’s post-war collection, including
Donald Judd’s wall piece,
Untitled (1982); Sol LeWitt’s
Seven-Part Variations on Two Different Kinds of Cubes (1967-69), and Al Held’s minimalist canvas,
Untitled (1964).
What's Pictured: (Left) Orly Genger (American, b. 1979)
Red, Yellow, and Blue, 2013, recycled lobster rope and paint, Madison
Square Park, New York, NY, Art © Orly Genger / Image: James Ewing
Photography
This exhibition is sponsored by The Nelson Family Foundation.
About Joslyn’s Riley CAP Gallery
A 500-square-foot space in the Scott Pavilion suite of galleries, the Riley CAP Gallery showcases nationally- and internationally-recognized artists, as well as emerging talent, selected by Joslyn curators. A rotating schedule of carefully focused installations will examine how artists engage with the world and respond to the issues that challenge them creatively, bringing new perspectives on contemporary art to Nebraska.
Riley CAP Gallery artists will be invited to Joslyn for lectures and other public programs, giving audiences the opportunity to gain insight into creative processes and contribute to an expanded dialogue about new art. The first Joslyn gallery dedicated exclusively to living artists, the Riley CAP Gallery represents an important step in making contemporary art an even more integral component of the Museum’s exhibition programming.