John McCracken

Opening on September 8, 2006, David Zwirner is pleased to present an exhibition of new work by John McCracken. The artist was the subject of a solo exhibition at S.M.A.K. in Ghent, Belgium in 2004. His work was prominently represented in major recent group shows including The Los Angeles Art Scene, 1955-1985 at Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, France (2006), and A Minimal Future? Art as Object 1958-1968 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, CA. This will be McCracken's third exhibition at the gallery, and will inaugurate David Zwirner's new space at 533 West 19th Street.

Since the mid-1960s, John McCracken has been a key figure in the conceptual expansion of abstract art; in particular, Minimalism. Best known for "planks"–monochromatic, rectangular sculptures that lean against the wall–McCracken typically makes each resin or lacquer work by hand rather than using industrial fabricators. Plywood forms are coated with fiberglass and layers of resin and sometimes lacquer, and each work is meticulously handcrafted and taken to a high polish. The resulting forms are nearly translucent, offering the viewers' reflection as a reminder of the heightened physicality of pure abstract form. In addition to the planks, his freestanding monoliths and smaller wall pieces seem to occupy the space between sculpture and painting by suggesting volumetric color as its own conceptual entity.

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