Rob Wynne

Rob Wynne (born 1948) is an American visual artist best known for his use of glass to produce abstract and text wall installations. He lives and works[1] in New York City.

Rob Wynne
BornNovember 28, 1948
New York City
EducationPratt Institute, Brooklyn NY (BA)
Known forVisual Art
AwardsPollack Krasner Foundation Award
Websitewww.robwynne.net

Work

Wynne’s work spans sculpture, jewelry,[2] painting, drawing, collage, installations, design, and photography. Wynne’s early drawings and collages were influenced by the Fluxus Movement via Ray Johnson, a seminal figure of Neo-Dada and founder of the New York Correspondence School.[3] Having met Johnson during the 1970s, Wynne says that “through Ray I got interested in the idea of using a typewriter and Western Union, and we developed an epistolary relationship."[4] Wynne once went to Western Union and wrote a telegram to himself that read: “You are still alive.”[4] In the mid-70s Wynne scored music, opera, and soundscape for the dramatic readings of Marguerite Young’s epic novel Miss MacIntosh, My Darling as part of radio station WBAI’s series called “The Reading Experiment.”[5][3]

Wynne's use of industrial materials in his work, such as his Xerox art,[3] was a part of his first installation, Sphere Redux, at The Kitchen in New York City, in 1981. It consisted of two rear screen projections of a large rotating glass marble, scored with opera and breaking glass, synchronized with video monitors arranged along the base of one wall, hung with blueprint blow-ups of glass marbles, moon rocks, and caves, intermixed with portraits of friends whose features were overshadowed by masks.[6]

In the 1990s, Wynne’s exhibitions of paintings, sculptures, and prints at the Holly Solomon Gallery became installations;[7] his works set against wallpaper with images from the opera La Sonnambula (Bellini)[8] or The Flies (Sartre).[9]

In recent years, Wynne has become interested in glass as a medium. In the course of a visit to a glass foundry. “There,” Wynne says, “I started this experiment. It was purely by accident. I was holding a ladle of molten glass when it slipped out of my hands and spilled onto the floor, making a huge splat, which was absolutely spectacular. And at that moment I thought it was a kind of cosmic explosion and that it would be so interesting to fix it permanently, silver it and see it really glimmer. That led me to realize that I could control it somewhat more than just letting it fall out of a ladle and I could start making actual letters...”[4]

Wynne began to use glass to create large scale text pieces. Wynne explained that his glass text pieces were intended to “be much more reflective so when you are reading them you see yourself reading them..." Olivia Ryder for UrbanGlass writes, "He effectively reinstates that reflective nature with his literary creations. The disassociated words and phrases, adopts the viewers voice and adds a layer of introspection, disrupting the barriers between art and viewer."[10]

In Wynne’s 2018 show, FLOAT at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, he installed sixteen works within the American Art galleries. The works were placed in direct dialogue with selected works from the collection.[11] Barbara A. MacAdam from the Brooklyn Rail described Wynne’s installations, “The objects of the gallery—the artifacts, paintings, sculpture, and furniture are reflected upon by the artist, literally and figuratively, and become a part of his, and our, stream of consciousness.“[12]

In his work, Wynne freely appropriates fragments of texts and images taken from literature, opera, theatre, and conversation.[13] In addition to his work in glass, Wynne works with smoke, embroidery, paint, thread, bronze, and ceramics.

Solo Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions of Wynne's work include:

  • Speechless, Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, 2020[14]
  • FLOAT, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY, 2018[11]
  • OH2/H20, GAVLAK Gallery, Palm Beach FL, 2017[15]
  • BLINDSIGHT, Arthur Roger Gallery, New Orleans, LA, 2016[16]
  • A Distant Mirror, Galerie Mitterrand, Paris, France, 2016[17]
  • Blue Ghost, 39 Great Jones, New York, NY, 2016[18]
  • The Backstage of the Universe, Gavlak Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 2014[19]
  • The Lure Of Unknown Regions Beyond The Rim Of Experience, Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA., 2013[20]
  • The Green Ray, Gavlak Gallery, Palm Beach, Florida, 2013[21]
  • I Remember Ceramic Castles, Mermaids & Japanese Bridges, Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida, 2012[22]
  • Remember Me, Galerie Mitterrand, Paris, France, 2012[23]
  • Incognito, Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, 2011[24]
  • Kismet, Gavlak Gallery, Palm Beach, Florida, 2009[25]
  • Like the Flickering of a Candle, Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA., 2008[26]
  • The Heartbeat of a Bird, Craig Starr Associates, New York City, 2006
  • French Kiss, Galerie Mitterrand, Paris, France (curated), 2006
  • Imitation and Disguise, Galerie Mitterrand, Paris, France, 2004
  • New Work, Galerie Edward Mitterrand, Geneva, Switzerland, 2001
  • You’re Dreaming, Holly Solomon Gallery, New York City, 1999
  • Breathe, Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus Ohio, 1999[27]
  • Rob Wynne: Glass Sculpture and Word Drawings, Galerie Mitterrand, Paris, France, 1998
  • Sleepwalking, Holly Solomon Gallery, New York City, 1996
  • Window Shopping, Grey Art Gallery, New York University, New York City, 1994[28]
  • Sphere Redux, The Kitchen, New York City, (installation), 1981[29]

Group Exhibitions

    Selected group exhibitions include :

    • Visible Traces (Mountain Water Air), Lévy Gorvy, NYC, 2019[30]
    • Something About a Tree, Curated by Linda Yablonsky, The Flag Art Foundation, New York, NY, 2013[31]
    • High Drama: Eugene Berman and the Legacy of the Melancholic Sublime, curated by Michael Duncan, traveling exhibit: Georgia Museum of Fine Art, Athens Georgia; McNay Art Museum, Austin, Texas; Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, California, 2005[32]
    • Officina/America, Galleria D’arte Moderna, Bologna, Italy, (catalogue), 2002[33]
    • Slow Art: Painting in New York Now, P.S. 1 Museum, Long Island City, New York, 1992 [34]
    • About Place: Contemporary American Landscape, P.S. 1 Museum, Long Island City, New York, (catalogue), 1986[35]

    Collections

    Rob Wynne's work is held in the following public collections:

    • Centre Pompidou, Paris[36]
    • The Museum of Modern Art, New York City[37]
    • The Whitney Museum of Art, New York City[38]
    • The New York Public Library, The Spencer Collection, New York City[39]

    References
    1. Anelli, Marco (April 7, 2020). Artist Studio New York. New York: Damiani. ISBN 978-8862087001.
    2. Guinness, Louisa (January 5, 2018). Art As Jewellery. New York: ACC Art Books. ISBN 978-1851498703.
    3. Kley, Elisabeth (May 2000). "Wynne's Dream Logic". Art in America: 134.
    4. Quinn, Alice (October 8, 2011). "In Cog Nito, Believing Is Seeing, an interview with Rob Wynne by Alice Quinn". www.locksgallery.com.
    5. Schwabsky, Barry (2012). "MARGUERITE YOUNG: MISS MACINTOSH, MY DARLING". www.clocktower.org/.
    6. Glueck, Grace (November 27, 1981). "Review". New York Times.
    7. MacAdam, Alfred (January 2000). ""You're Dreaming" at Holly Solomon". Art News. January 2000.
    8. Princenthal, Nancy (September 1996). "Rob Wynne at Holly Solomon: Sleepwalking". Art in America.
    9. Yablonsky, Linda (December 11–30, 1999). "Holly Solomon Gallery: You're Dreaming". Time Out/New York.
    10. UrbanGlass (2020-06-24). "SEEN: Rob Wynne activates Brooklyn Museum's period…". UrbanGlass. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    11. "Brooklyn Museum: Rob Wynne: FLOAT". www.brooklynmuseum.org. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    12. MacAdam, Barbara A. (2018-07-11). "ROB WYNNE: FLOAT". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    13. Ratcliff, Carter (2008). Visionary Glitter: The Art of Rob Wynne. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Locks Art Publications.
    14. "Rob Wynne - Exhibitions - Locks Gallery". www.locksgallery.com. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    15. "Rob Wynne "OH2/H2O" - Exhibitions - GAVLAK". www.gavlakgallery.com. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    16. "Exhibition Opening: Rob Wynne". Arthur Roger Gallery. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    17. "A Distant Mirror, Rob Wynne". galeriemitterrand.com. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    18. "rob wynne | 39 great jones". Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    19. "Rob Wynne "The Backstage of the Universe" - Exhibitions - GAVLAK". www.gavlakgallery.com. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    20. "Rob Wynne - Exhibitions - Locks Gallery". www.locksgallery.com. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    21. "Rob Wynne "The Green Ray" - Exhibitions - GAVLAK". www.gavlakgallery.com. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    22. OctoberCMS. "Norton Museum of Art | Member Insights: Science and Technology in Contemporary Art". www.norton.org. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    23. "Remember Me, Rob Wynne". galeriemitterrand.com. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    24. "Rob Wynne - Exhibitions - Locks Gallery". www.locksgallery.com. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    25. "Rob Wynne "Kismet" - Exhibitions - GAVLAK". www.gavlakgallery.com. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    26. "Rob Wynne - Exhibitions - Locks Gallery". www.locksgallery.com. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    27. Murrin, Arlene. "Rob Wynne". Contemporary Art Matters. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
    28. Catalogue of the Gallery of Art of the New York Historical Society. Printed for the Society. 1915. doi:10.5479/sil.178065.39088005990429.
    29. LLC, New York Media (1981-11-23). New York Magazine. New York Media, LLC.
    30. "Visible Traces (mountain Water Air)". Lévy Gorvy. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
    31. "Something About a Tree". The FLAG art foundation. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
    32. Duncan, Michael (May 25, 2004). High Drama: Eugene Berman and the Legacy of the Melancholic Sublime. New York and Manchester: Hudson Hills Press. ISBN 1555952763.
    33. Barilli, Renato (2002). Officina America : ReteEmiliaRomagna. Milano: Mazzotta. ISBN 8820215314.
    34. "Installation view of the P.S. 1 exhibition "Slow Art: Painting in New York Now" | MoMA". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
    35. "Artists | MoMA". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
    36. "If You Expect to Get Better, You Will | Centre Pompidou". www.centrepompidou.fr (in French). Retrieved 2020-06-16.
    37. "Rob Wynne | MoMA". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
    38. "Rob Wynne | A Beautiful Sound Alone Is Not Enough". whitney.org. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
    39. Wynne, Rob; Callas, Maria (2004). A beautiful sound alone is not enough. Carpe Diem (Firm : Oaxaca, Mexico), Linotipográfica Quintas. [Oaxaca] Mexico: Carpe Diem. OCLC 57239844.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.