Frank Gehry
A Study, 1999 (view 1)
Maple wood and lead, 20 × 40 × 25 feet
Photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio
Frank Gehry
A Study, 1999 (view 2)
Maple wood and lead, 20 × 40 × 25 feet
Photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio
Frank Gehry
A Study, 1999 (view 3)
Maple wood and lead, 20 × 40 × 25 feet
Photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio
Gagosian is pleased to announce the exhibition of a monumental work of sculpture by Frank Gehry. This is his first sculptural presentation in a commercial gallery in this country.
The sculpture, which Gehry has made specifically for this exhibition, is a vaulting structure of shaped wood ribs, overlaid with thin strips of maple, then clad with a dramatically sculpted “skin” constructed from 16,000 pounds of overlapping shaped sheets of gray lead. The form measures approximately 20 feet high, 25 feet wide, and 40 feet long. Because of its open configuration, the viewer can enter the sculpture and walk entirely through its cave, or shelter-like interior. In this way, it epitomizes Gehry’s complex fusion of sculpture and architecture.
A Study will undergo construction for one month on site at Gagosian Gallery, which was designed by Richard Meier. Gehry’s monumental object will crowd and loom up in the space, an effect that reminds him of Magritte’s gigantic apple squeezed into the confines of a small room. This reference is pertinent, for it reveals the emotional and psychological quotient in Gehry’s creations. They always exhibit a dynamic relationship between chaos and refinement, as well as a perceptual spasm fired by the disruption of the commonplace.
Deborah McLeod, senior director at Gagosian, Beverly Hills, reflects on the generous and innovative vision of Frank Gehry. Having worked with the architect and artist for more than a decade, McLeod addresses his outsize impact on the city of Los Angeles and the world beyond.
Paul Goldberger traces the history of the fish form throughout Frank Gehry’s career.
Frank Gehry speaks to Jean-Louis Cohen about the early years of his practice, including his work with LA artists, and the role of sketching in his design process. The first volume of the catalogue raisonné of the architect’s drawings, edited by Cohen, was published by Cahiers d’Art earlier this year.
Inspired by a visit to the Fondation Louis Vuitton’s exhibition Charlotte Perriand: Inventing a New World, William Middleton explores the life of this modernist pioneer and her impact on the worlds of design, art, and architecture.
Frank Gehry discusses the Fondation Louis Vuitton with Derek Blasberg.
