Chris Burden: Early Work
In this exhibition of early work by Chris Burden, Zwirner & Wirth will present the Deluxe Photo Book 1971- 73, accompanied by six “Relics" from performances staged between 1972 and 1980. The centerpiece of the exhibition is one of Burden's most important post-performance sculptures, the gallery-destroying apparatus Samson from 1985.
The mythology of Chris Burden is well-known in art world circles. Chris Burden and his work emerged in the early 1970s in Los Angeles amidst a growing movement of "alternative" art forms and groups including earth, body, video, performance and conceptual art. What these groups had in common was an interest in making art that addressed political, social and environmental issues while operating outside of the established museum/gallery nexus. Burden's early work was unavoidably steeped in Minimalism, however by 1971, with the piece Five Day Locker Piece, it became clear that Burden was forging a new path towards extreme performance.