Marc Selwyn Fine Art is pleased to announce an exhibition by Mel Bochner. This exhibition marks the first show of both series by the artist in Los Angeles.
One of the preeminent figures in the history of conceptual art, Mel Bochner has used verbal, mathematical and geometric systems to influence the content of his work since the mid-1960’s. His “thesaurus paintings,” which debuted at the Whitney Biennial in 2004, are characterized by experimentation and commentary on language. Similarly, the repeating Blah Blah Blah text reflects the current state of communication and political discourse in America. Each Blah becomes a type of zero or absence of meaning, like each expulsion of breath without meaning.
The five richly painted oil on velvet works in this exhibition vibrate with exuberant, changing colors that interrupt the reading of the text. The viewer’s mind goes back and forth between reading the content of the texts and experiencing them as formal compositions of color and shape. The choice of oil on velvet is deliberate - velvet as a material goes against preconceptions about the medium which is considered less serious, kitsch or reflects the irony of conceptual art on velvet.
Other works in the exhibition is a new body of work consisting of paintings on paper which reflect the dark side of humor. Bright white repeating Ha Ha Ha text is set against midnight blues and blacks, the result of layers upon layers of UV screenprint. The viewer questions if he or she is laughing or if somebody is laughing at the viewer.