Covered Sites
1989-present
I first produced Covered Sites for an exhibition at American Fine Arts Co. in New York City in 1989 as way to make "paintings without paint". The Covered Sites resulted from the efforts to combine two opposing concepts in one object. The first idea was to make clear that the art object is never free from the web of social and economic systems it travels through, the other was the desire to make a thing that could still operate in the realm of the aesthetic. Covered refers to a "painting" which rather than showing, or imaging certain preconceived artistic principles (creativity, emotion, etc.) is actually a place (Site) that seeks to hide (cover) its nature, or disguise its own purposes. The look of these works has evolved in the past twenty years, but certain concepts remain unchanged, namely the "painting" itself is never what it appears to be - there is no paint- but instead common fabrics (covers), that are immersed,or run through with certain social fluids (waste water, cosmetics, medical dyes...) that act as surrogates for paint, but also imply the social dimension of every art object, and that, at a structural level, what we often understand as beauty, is intimately connected to, or often a by-product of certain unspoken acts.
Covered Sites (left wall)
installed American Fine Arts Co.
1989
Installation view
Capital Project: Covered Sites ( BB, CC, DD, EE )
Waste water over fabrics on canvas
Each 96" x 72"
1989
1989-present
I first produced Covered Sites for an exhibition at American Fine Arts Co. in New York City in 1989 as way to make "paintings without paint". The Covered Sites resulted from the efforts to combine two opposing concepts in one object. The first idea was to make clear that the art object is never free from the web of social and economic systems it travels through, the other was the desire to make a thing that could still operate in the realm of the aesthetic. Covered refers to a "painting" which rather than showing, or imaging certain preconceived artistic principles (creativity, emotion, etc.) is actually a place (Site) that seeks to hide (cover) its nature, or disguise its own purposes. The look of these works has evolved in the past twenty years, but certain concepts remain unchanged, namely the "painting" itself is never what it appears to be - there is no paint- but instead common fabrics (covers), that are immersed,or run through with certain social fluids (waste water, cosmetics, medical dyes...) that act as surrogates for paint, but also imply the social dimension of every art object, and that, at a structural level, what we often understand as beauty, is intimately connected to, or often a by-product of certain unspoken acts.
Covered Sites (left wall)
installed American Fine Arts Co.
1989
Installation view
Capital Project: Covered Sites ( BB, CC, DD, EE )
Waste water over fabrics on canvas
Each 96" x 72"
1989
Installation View ( Covered Sites Q, R,S,T,U,V)
Each 84" x 60"
Waste fluids on fabric over canvas
1991
Installation View ( Covered Sites Q, R,S,T,U,V)
Each 84" x 60"
Waste fluids on fabric over canvas
1991
Installation view Documenta Series
The Capital Project
Covered Sites: ( MM, NN, OO)
Each 94" x 72"
Fluids on fabrics over canvas
1992
Detail Covered Site ( MM)
Waste Water soaked fabrics over canvas
96" x 72"
1992
Detail Covered Site ( NN)
Waste Water soaked fabrics over canvas
96" x 72"
1992
Click on image to enlarge
Detail Covered Site ( OO)
Waste Water soaked fabrics over canvas
96" x 72"
1992
Covered Sites ( LA, NY, CT)
Fluids and fabrics over canvas
each 84" x 60"
2002
Covered Site ( Beth)
Fluids and fabrics over canvas
84" x 60"
2002
Covered Site ( LA )
Fluids and fabrics over canvas
84" x 60"
2002
Covered Site ( James )
Fluids and fabrics over canvas
84" x 72"
2006
The artist working on Covered Site (Katie) with Covered Site (James) behind
at his studio in Stamford, Conecticut Fall 2006.
Covered Site ( Katie)
Fluids and fabrics over canvas
84" x 72"
2006
Studio shot of Covered Site (Katie)
Stamford, Connecticut
Fall 2006.
Covered Site ( Martin)
Fluids and fabrics over canvas
84" x 72"
2006
Covered Site ( Martin) detail inset
Fluids and fabrics over canvas
84" x 72"
2006
Click on image detail to enlarge
Fluids and fabrics over canvas
84" x 72"
2006
Click on image detail to enlarge
Covered Site ( Brady)
Fluids and fabrics over canvas
84" x 60"
2007
Covered Site ( Brady) views of same work at right and left angles
Fluids and fabrics over canvas
84" x 60"
2007
Installation view Untitled: (Brady) left
NY/LA Art Fair
Christopher Grimes Gallery booth
New York City
2007
Covered Site (Fasha)
Fluids and fabrics over canvas
84" x 60"
2008
Fluids and fabrics over canvas
84" x 60"
2008
Covered Site (Fasha) views of same work at right and left angles
Fluids and fabrics over canvas
84" x 60"
2008
Fluids and fabrics over canvas
84" x 60"
2008
Covered Site ( Red)
Fluids and fabrics over canvas
48" x 48"
2007
Covered Site ( Red) views of same work at right and left angles
Fluids and fabrics over canvas
48" x 48"
2007