Curated by Sasha Archibald, Tania Duvergne and Bethany Martin-Breen
@ Bobst Library, New York University
70 Washington Square South, Third Floor, New York
November 19, 2009 – February 26, 2010
Reception: December 1, 2009, World AIDS Day 6:30 –
8:30 PM
Coming ten years
after Robert Blanchon’s untimely death of AIDS, the first New York exhibition
of his works, writing and ephemera marks the transfer of major holding of his
estate into the publicly accessible archives of the Fales Library at New York
University. It also concludes a multi-year collaboration between the artist’s
estate and Visual AIDS to collect and present the work of the late photo-based
conceptual artist.
The exhibition offers an opportunity to finally
examine a decade-long history of creation marked by a witty, insightful
treatment of loss, memory, and mortality, a mischievousness concerning the
pretenses of the art world, and an original treatment of the construction of
identity. A conceptual artist, Robert Blanchon (1965-1999) was primarily
interested in the photographic medium – specifically, the materiality of the
photograph – but worked also in sculpture, video, mail art, text, and
performance.
Blanchon’s art is characteristic of the art
historical movements of the early 1990’s. Like many young artists of the time,
he grappled with the legacies of minimalism and cultural studies, the relation
between politics and art, and his own identification as a gay, HIV-positive
artist who nonetheless eschewed identity politics as the basis of an art
practice. But his rich and diverse corpus brings an opportunity to glance back
at the period from an intimate perspective while signaling artistic traits that
will be found beyond the 1990’s. Similarly as Paul Thek (1933-1988), David
Wojnarowicz (1954-1992) and Félix González-Torres (1957-1996), Blanchon sought
relevance beyond the poetics of queer culture, and the vulnerability, pathos,
and humor of his oeuvre will resonate with anyone who has felt the fragility of
being human.
Blanchon died at a moment of increasing
exhibition opportunities and growing critical acclaim, leaving unachieved and,
for years unviewed, most of his oeuvre. But he was feverishly productive in his
condensed life span and left behind a body of work with unusually lucid themes,
possibly foreseeing that, only after his death, his works would finally be seen
together. It is important to note that he spent his entire creative life with
AIDS.
Panels and Events:
“You are Cordially Invited”: The Art and Influence of Robert Blanchon
Tuesday January 26, 2010
6:30 - 8:30 PM
An
event discussing Robert Blanchon as a conceptual artist whose work expands and
reiterates many of the themes of 1990s art. Through brief presentations and
“interviews” with panelists we will explore Blanchon’s connection to artists as
well as emerging trends in contemporary art. Throughout his career, from
parodies of the art world to AIDS agit-prop to cerebral, minimalist
photography, Blanchon gleaned from art history in order to make his own crucial
intervention, and taught his students to do the same.
Tuesday February 16, 2010
6:30 – 8:30 PM
This
panel will discuss the nature of artists' estates, their placement in archival
repositories, copyright issues, and other concerns about the disposition of
artists' papers. A discussion among professionals representing legal, artistic,
and academic, and other institutional concerns, the evening will explore both
the theoretical aspects of how an artistic legacy is maintained and offer
practical advice on securing an artist’s oeuvre.
"Robert Blanchon" catalogue available through Visual AIDS.
For more info, contact Visual AIDS at 212-627-9855 / info@visualAIDS.org
