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INTERVIEW WITH KIMBERLY NICHOLS ON STAINLESS STEEL EXHIBITION 2010
KIMBERLY:
- Tell me about the new
body of work you have created and will present in your February show? What was
it inspired by and what do the sculptures represent for you in your overall
oeuvre?
CHRISTOPHER:
- After my 60th Birthday I
vowed to build works that would survive beyond my demise. I chose a
material which I had worked in decades ago on smaller and larger scales in my Abstract Modern Sculpture,
Stainless Steel.
- Unlike Bronze which has been
steeped in History with its somber patina, Stainless Steel is Hard, Bright and
Modern Sculpture material. Its Durability only surpassed by Titanium which is a little out of range
because of price. Titanium is about 1/3 the weight but I wanted to put some meat
on the bones and used Stainless a far heavier material but brilliant in its
finish and has the ability to withstand all Outdoor Environments. My New Modern Minimal Anstract Sculpture is
made of #304 Stainless Steel from a .5000 inch thick Plate. It is Laser Cut
which leaves perfectly square surfaces to the plate, around the width of a
pencil line and computer programed from my plans.
- I love New Technology and
had to jump in and try Laser Cutting opposed to Water Jet and the results are
amazing. Another element about Stainless Steel is its surface. Bright and
readily present to add your own choice of Finish. I chose a 120 grit Flap Disk
with Strokes parallel the to the Sculptures Vertical Center Line. Using
Stainless Steel not only gives me the ability to install in all environmental
conditions with little maintenance but moves my work in into the realm of the
California's "Light ans Space Movement".
- The West Coast has always
been a environment which embodies these Qualities of Light and Space and has
been reflected in many artist works from 60's on primarily coming out of Venice
with artist like Dewain Valentine, Larry Bell, and Robert Irwin to name a few
that were in Venice when I was there.
- The pieces fit into my
overall oeuvre in that they use the same Language of Shapes I have explores
since the early 70's beginning with my Abstract Sculpture "Wood Floor Piece Series", the first time I
began to explore splitting the rectangle, in this case it was a Volume and later
I moved on to a Planes.
- I have been involved in a
series of shapes in my Contemporary Sculpture which I call my Vocabulary for the past 42 years and they come
across brilliantly in my new Modern Stainless Steel Sculpture. Their opposing juts of
position are ever changing, revealing themselves slowly as the
viewer moves around the Sculptures. The Works are all coming off a Central
Vertical Linear Conjunction and as with all my work embody inner space with its
axis's in outer space. Most of my sculptures exist primarily in Outer Space. The
Sculptures them self are the Inner Space which circles in space have in common,
all other elements are eliminated usually leaving a Monolith as my Primary Form.
- Other works
in this Exhibition are specifically related to the Inner Space which use the
Sculptures as a Templates to define the Space sculpted away from the interior of
the Sculpture. These Prismatic Forms define the interior space as invisible,
encapsulated and defined. I have always been interested in what you cant see in
my work as what is physically present. For the most part my work is about what
you don't see. Extended Radii or Circumferences which appear invisible outside
the pieces and create the physical space which is defined as Sculpture, usually
Monolithic where they intersect as the subject.
- My involvement with
Minimalism is evident in a Abstracted format. I have created all the New Works
from a single rectangle split with 2 lines and revised by displacing the shape
into single forms which which operate in displacing space by positive and
negative components reacting against each other causing movement. In this way my
New Stainless Steel work relates to my earlier Concrete Columns from the
1970's.
2.)
KIMBERLY:
- You are being touted as
a New Modernist? What does this mean to you and how do you feel about your show
coinciding with Palm Springs Modernism Week?
CHRISTOPHER:
- I have never heard of my
work called "The New Modernism" but have no problem with this term. Modernism
has always reflected in my opinion the highest level of functionality, a relief
to the eye in its reductive space. Modernism will never be dated. It is a
Timeless Concept, Elegant and lacking decorative elements. The simplest
explanation being " Less is More".
- I have always found Post
Modernism a Head Ache and am glad my work is viewed in the context Modernism.
Nothing could please me more. I have always see my work as Abstract Minimalism,
due to beginning my sculpture carrier in 68 soon after Minimalism had Posted. It
seemed Abstracting Minimalism was the only place to go in Sculpture, everything
had already been reduced to the Cube. Post Modernism was never a consideration
of mine. I find it gosh and decorative.
- As most people know I am the
son of a Internationally recognized Modernist Architect whose archives were
acquired by the Getty 2008. The remainder are in the collection of and exhibited
at The Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism in Bucharest Romania which
I attended with Wim DeWit from Special Collections at the Getty also in 2008, my
fathers Centennial. As much as I wanted to be different than my father, years of
being exposed to his Architecture and the summers spent working in his office
building Architectural Models in the Modern Style effected me. Modernism is in
my Blood and has been passed on to me. My father never talked about himself or
his work but I seemed to have picked up Modernist concerns through osmosis. It
seems that Modern Art has always moved in and out from simple to more complex
modes throughout history. This is a reason for choosing Abstracted Minimalism as
my form of expression being born in 1950, "New Modernism" if you choose to call
it suits me fine.
- Timing is everything in Art
along with being at the right place at the time. Having my Show during Modernism
week was not a complete accident. I was able to convince my Palm Springs Art
Dealer Michael Lord in lining up my show in his New Season with Modernism Week
in Palm Springs due to the nature of of my work. I really felt it was a great
opportunity to show my work when there where people in town who would understand
it. Modernism week could not be better.
3.)
KIMBERLY:
- From your early days in
L.A. to your resurgence in the desert, how do you think the art scene’s in the
two cities have become connected and what does this connection mean to you as an
artist?
CHRISTOPHER:
- I never connected the The
Desert with Los Angeles in any specific way. I really landed here for totally
different reasons than a Art Scene, which almost did not exist when I moved here
in 1994 with my wife.
- I moved to Venice Beach
straight out of Palisades High School in 1968. It was local and at that time it
was a deserted Beach Front Town and with dirt cheap rents. I had no idea I was
walking into a Hot Bed of Artistic First and Second Generation Major L.A. Art
Players. I had never seen a Studio or been confronted with the cutting edge work
and concepts in Art such as "The Industrial Gesture" / "Art and Technology" and
"Light and Space" that were going on in Venice in the 60's and 70's in a big
way. Those were really experimental and exciting times to be there. New
Materials and Experimental Works on the menu. It had nothing to do with what was
taught in Art History Class.
- I did attend Santa Monica
City College for awhile, primarily concentrating on Art History and Welding but
quickly recognized that there was more to be learned on the Streets in Venice. I
slowly befriended some of the key players in the Venice Art World, most twice my
age. I think they found my curiosity and enthusiasm entertaining. I learned
where things had progressed to passed my Art History Books in College. I
happened to move to right place at the right time as a Artist and became totally
enveloped in the Life Style. This something you cant learn in school and I was
lucky to have a father who was totality supportive of my decisions to make Art
my Carrier. I had always been good at Art from a young age and knew it would be
my destination.
- I quickly picked up on the
concept of Large Spaces in Venice to work in, a complement to a Gallery type
atmosphere which I learned was called a Studio and absolutely as important as
blank canvas to a painter. With help from some of the Older Established Artist I
learned that Cheap Space was a key element in the survival mode of The
Contemporary Artist, and that subdividing leased space was a good way to live
rent free. Once I picked up on the concept of Large Spaces, I immediately sought
out my own 5,000 sq ft building. I got the key from the owner on 24 hour
arrangement and quickly found 2 Artist willing to put up front money on my newly
found warehouse from my Mentors who were plugged in to the connections. I was in
business. I got the first and last month money for the building in one day. I
sub-leased out two 1,000 sq ft. Spaces, leaving me 3,000 sq ft Rent Free on a 15
year with a $35 a month profit per month. Not bad business if I do say myself
for a 19 year old Kid.
- After my lease ran out I was
forced to move further East to the 8th floor of the Desmond's Art Deco Tower
building on Wilshire down the street from L.A.C.M.A. I had a 3 year lease which
I again sublet part of the space to cover my rent. During this time Doug
Christmas owner of Ace Gallery had also found himself in the predicament of
increased rents in Venice and Leased the entire 2nd floor of my building a total
of 30,000 sq ft. Needless to say his presence raised the status of the building
and when my lease was up for renewal it tripled. This left no choice but to move
further East to South Central Los Angeles where I rented a Large Warehouse big
enough to drive a Truck through for $400 a month. It was a little scary being
the only White person in the neighborhood except for a couple other artists in
the same complex. Not to mention all the Gun Fights at night.
- After 6 years in South
Central I married my wife Maria from Holland who only knew how to ride a
bicycle. She had to commute by Bus to Venice where she worked for a Fashion
Designer. It was dangerous for her walking through the Hood as they called it.
She was stoned with rocks from the nearby railroad tracks by some Black Girls,
and home crying and angry one day. I then realized I needed to find another
place. I looked in Highland Park to Long Beach and by 1994 everything in Los
Angeles was Sky High Expensive. Artist were paying exorbitant prices to live in
Sub-divided Warehouses in Downtown in some of the worst neighborhoods you could
imagine. The L.A. Scene was sewn up and over for a pioneer like me. I was not
ready for a job or used to paying High Rents. I had always lived off my Wits and
Art.
- By 1994
L.A. was saturated. For some reason everyone now wanted to be a Artist, which
was a outsider type activity when I started out. My wife and I would take weekly
outings to get away from South Central for weekends to places like Carlsbad and
Mexico's Rosarito Beach. On one of these trips we came to Palm Springs. My wife
picked up a Real Estate magazine and when we left Palm Springs headed for the
Beach, half way there she started reading off the prices of properties in the
Real Estate Booklet. I could not believe how cheap it was to buy a New House on
the outskirts of Palm Springs. Palm Springs was not knew to me. As a boy I would
come here with my father where he worked for a Architect / Developer, Howard
Lapham who just recently passed away at the ripe age of 96. I guess the most
important thing my father designed for Howard here in the 50's with the The Chi
Chi Club.
-
Seeing these the low price for Real Estate in the booklet I quickly turned the
car around to see what we could get. We got back into town and checked into the
Hotel 6. The next morning we stopped at the first Realtor we saw. I told the man
I was a Sculptor and had $15,000 and I needed a place where I could grind steel
and not bother anyone. He took us to a defunct subdivision called B Bar H Ranch
on the outskirts of town and showed us a 2 year old home for $50,000. It was on
a quarter acre, had Tile Roof and was nearly new. We had no neighbors and to
this day I still have no one living on either side or the rear. My wife loved
the house and refused to look at anymore so put $10,000 down and we moved in
soon as Escrow closed. I dumped my South Central Studio and saw no problems
moving to the Desert. It was 2 hours from my L.A. Gallery and my wife just
needed to find a job. It was the best decision I ever made. The house is now
paid off and we live a Stress Free Life with no more Sub Letting or Crazy
Neighborhoods and own rather than lease..
- I realized it would not be
long before the Artists would show up at these prices and even cheaper in the
High Desert. Sure enough several years latter Andrea Zittel started up her A-Z
Test Site in Joshua and Ed Moses bought a place next door to friend in the
mountains up in Joshua.
- As everyone can see now the
small Art Scene that existed on El Paseo grew and as those prices escalated the
Art Scene started moving here to Palm Springs, primarily to the once undesirable
North Palm Canyon Blvd. I predicted this from past experiences when moving here.
Find a area with cheap rent and the artist will come and turn into a Trendy
Spot. The Back Street Galleries opened, more Galleries, Boutiques, Restaurants
and Mid Century Furniture and Architectural Shops are opening up on N. Palm
Canyon Blvd everyday. Exactly what I saw happen in Venice is happening here in
Palm Springs now. Blame it on the Artists. The artists migrations always turn
undesirable towns into Upscale Hip places and they eventually become
outrageously expensive. Tip being move in before these places are
exploited.
4.)
KIMBERLY:
- What does your inclusion
in the SO CAL Artists book mean to you and express about your
career?
CHRISTOPHER:
- It was surprised when my old
acquaintance Lyn Kienholz, the early wife of the late sculptor Ed Kienholz
contacted me. I knew her from my days showing at Newspace Gallery in Los
Angeles. She called me and asked for 2 images of my work and a statements which
eventually came off my Web Site http://www.GeorgescoArt.com for a New Art
Encyclopedia she was writing on L.A. Art before 1980.
- Lyn was putting this
Encyclopedia together to document the artist from 1945 -1980 who had shown in
Museums and Galleries and put Los Angeles on the map and created the Art Hub
that Los Angeles has become today. She said the book would be out in a year.
Three years later I received an invitation to the Getty for a Toast to Lyn and
to honor the Artist in her Encyclopedia. I had told Lyn I always wanted to be in
such a publication, like the one which I had used in School in my Art History
class. I think my Art History book pretty much ended with her late husband Ed.
-I guess what
became evident to me at the Reception for the book is that what happens in the
past eventually becomes the History of today. I never would have figured that
participating and showing in Los Angeles Galleries, Universities and Museums
would have add up to History and a Encyclopedia.
-It was a great evening
spending time with my Contemporaries and Mentors at the Getty, seeing the artist
I grew up with in the Los Angeles Art Scene again after leaving Los Angeles
nearly 17 years ago to live here in the Beautiful Desert I now call Home.
- The
Encyclopedia should be Available some time in January. It is tittled
"L.A. Rising:
SoCal Artists before 1980" by Lyn Kienholz.
- Be careful you don't drop it
on your foot, its Big and Heavy and includes around 600 Artist. To my surprise I
have learned to be careful what you do today. What happens now I have found will
latter become History.
- With all that said and done
in this Interview I am hoping what I have talked about will inspire you to come
see My New Stainless Steel Series: "Rectilinear Revisions" in the
front Gallery and examples of my previous last 3 series in the large rear space
at Michael H. Lord Gallery in February. The Exhibition will total more than 20
sculptures in all.
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2011 New American Embassy Bucharest, Romania
2010 Pasadena City College, CA
2009 City of Palm Springs, CA