Block & Stone #35, Portland, Oregon

Carl Andre

Carl Andre's 1973 exhibition at the Portland Center for the Visual Arts '144 Blocks & Stones, Portland Oregon' was a masterful installation of minimalist grandeur. The artist selected stones from a local river and placed them on a uniform 12 x 12 grid of concrete blocks that took up much of the main floor area in the museum.

Although tempting to read this work in a geographical context, the installation evoking the local landscape, the artist's intentions remained typically mysterious. In an interview at the time, the artist was asked "How do you think that the blocks and stones work together to create a sense of place?" His answer was "They work together because I put them together."

The exhibition was subsequently dedicated to the land artist Robert Smithson, who died shortly after the exhibition took place, at the age of only 35.

Artist
Carl Andre (1935-2024)
Title
Block & Stone #35, Portland, Oregon
Medium
River rock on concrete block
Date
1973
Notes
Unique. No. 35 of 144 unique works, from the series '144 Blocks & Stones, Portland, Oregon', 1973
Size
Base: 11 3/4 x 11 3/4 in : 30 x 30 cm (irregular); Overall height 7 1/2 in : 19.0 cm
Provenance
Purchased directly from Portland Center for the Visual Arts, Portland, Oregon by the previous owner; Collection of Carolyn Doughton, Portland, Oregon; thence by descent
Exhibited
'144 Blocks & Stones, Portland, Oregon, Carl Andre, 1973', Portland Center for the Visual Arts, February 11 - March 11, 1973, Portland, Oregon
Literature
'144 Blocks & Stones, Portland, Oregon, Carl Andre, 1973', Portland Center for the Visual Arts, February 11 - March 11, 1973, Portland, Oregon (exh. cat) (illus.)
Certification
A signed photo-certificate from the artist accompanies this work
Further Notes
The original 1973 Portland Center for the Visual Arts purchase invoice accompanies this work, as does a copy of the 1973 Portland Center for the Visual Arts exhibition catalogue
Reference
C15-61 / A21-44
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Status
Available

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