Two immediate modes of appreciation hit me when looking at Charles Ray’s work. The first is the oddball humor. Plenty in this show. Family Romance is a classic, just as genius as when I first saw it. Plank Piece retains its hold as well. I listened to a podcast of an interview with him, and he comes across as you might expect, kind of kooky and earnest in an endearing way. Seeing the works spanning his whole career, the humor part does decline as you get closer to the present, though the oddball part stays. The second mode of appreciation is more inside baseball: How did he make that? The technical part amazes me, and I suspect he gets a personal charge in knowing that other makers are asking themselves that question when seeing his work. As the works go forward in time, the technical wow-ness does become the stronger impression. And correspondingly my first impression of seeing these later works at the Met was a pulling away.
Charles Ray: Figure Ground
Charles Ray: Figure Ground
Charles Ray: Figure Ground
Two immediate modes of appreciation hit me when looking at Charles Ray’s work. The first is the oddball humor. Plenty in this show. Family Romance is a classic, just as genius as when I first saw it. Plank Piece retains its hold as well. I listened to a podcast of an interview with him, and he comes across as you might expect, kind of kooky and earnest in an endearing way. Seeing the works spanning his whole career, the humor part does decline as you get closer to the present, though the oddball part stays. The second mode of appreciation is more inside baseball: How did he make that? The technical part amazes me, and I suspect he gets a personal charge in knowing that other makers are asking themselves that question when seeing his work. As the works go forward in time, the technical wow-ness does become the stronger impression. And correspondingly my first impression of seeing these later works at the Met was a pulling away.