While taking media folks on a preview tour of The Quick and the Dead this morning, curator Peter Eleey mentioned Walter Pater’s famous quote about “all art aspiring to the condition of music.” There’s the making of it, and the “performing” — or exhibition — of it. Installing an artwork for its performance, then (rehearsal? practice?), might lie somewhere in between.
And it’s probably not surprising that this exhibition has a number of works that are rather tricky to install, given its themes, not the least of which is exploring various odd manipulations of time and space. The Walker crew, however, unable to stop time, has been working long hours to get the show’s 91 pieces — which are located all over the museum, including its parking ramp, elevators, and the grounds outside — looking perfect for tomorrow night’s preview party; a number of artists have also come to install their work themselves. Cameron Wittig, our staff photographer, has been documenting some of them at work.
Ceal Floyer, installing "Suspense"
Mark Manders, with part of "Life-Size Scene with Revealed Figure" visible in background
Steven Pippin installing "Fax 69"
Paul Etienne Lincoln, with detail of his "Sousaphonograph" in foreground
Michael Sailstorfer in front of "Zeit ist keine Autobahn, Minneapolis (Time is No Highway, Minneapolis)"
These photos are wonderful! One couldn’t ask for more perfect behind-the-scenes context and documentation for these pieces. (And Cameron, these are such artful photographs, too!)
Comment by Susannah Schouweiler — April 23, 2009 @ 1:16 pm