Artists Space

Energeia

November 15, 1990 – January 5, 1991

Energeia is a living sculptural installation by Robert Gero.

A rectangular column of rough, brown material is capped by a smooth cube of white stone.
Robert Gero, Untitled, 1989. Sandstone, salt, aluminum, 60 x 9 x 9 inches. [A rectangular column of rough, brown material is capped by a smooth cube of white stone.]

Energeia is a living sculptural installation by Robert Gero. Gero combines nearly pure chemical elements with organic materials such as seeds and living plants. His installations demonstrate a command of mass and space reminiscent of Brancusi while incorporating a philosophical sensibility of their own. Energeia includes over 100 original sculptures creating a total environmental experience. The title is from the Greek term meaning "actuation of life."

Robert Gero has been selected by artist/critic Buzz Spector as part of Artists Space's "Projects" series. The exhibition will be accompanied by a brochure with reproductions of the artist's work and an essay by Buzz Spector.

The "Projects" series at Artists Space is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

A rectangular column against a white background. The bottom segment is covered in corn kernals, then there is a layer of black tar, and the top is a cube of copper.
Robert Gero, Untitled, 1989. Corn, copper, tar. [A rectangular column against a white background. The bottom segment is covered in corn kernals, then there is a layer of black tar, and the top is a cube of copper.]
A cube supports an inverted pyramid, both covered in corn kernals, shown on a white background.
Robert Gero, Untitled, 1989. Corn, aluminum. [A cube supports an inverted pyramid, both covered in corn kernals, shown on a white background.]
An inverted triangle of straw held together with wax supports an X made of lead.
Robert Gero, Untitled, 1989. Lead, straw, wax. [An inverted triangle of straw held together with wax supports an X made of lead.]
A rectangular column against a white background. A top section is black with sharp edges, while the rest is white and slightly rounded.
Robert Gero, Untitled, 1989. Sulfur, salt, aluminum. [A rectangular column against a white background. A top section is black with sharp edges, while the rest is white and slightly rounded.]
A vertical rectangle of straw on a white background. The top of the rectangle is covered by an inverted triangle made of black tar.
Robert Gero, Untitled, 1989. Straw, tar. [A vertical rectangle of straw on a white background. The top of the rectangle is covered by an inverted triangle made of black tar.]

Energeia Press Release

Robert Gero CV

Artists Space programs are made possible by: the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, New York State Council on the Arts, and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; AT&T Foundation, Inc., The David Bermant Foundation: Color, Light, Motion, The Bohen Foundation, The Cowles Charitable Trust, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts, Inc., Horace w. Goldsmith Foundation, The Greenwall Foundation, Jerome Foundation, The J.M. Kaplan Fund, The Dorothea L. Leonhardt Foundation, Inc., The Joe and Emily Lowe Foundation, Inc., The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, The Menemsha Fund, Joyce Mertz-Gilmore Foundation, Betty Parsons Foundation, The Reed Foundation, Inc., The Rockefeller Foundation, The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc., and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.; American Express Company, The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A., Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., Equitable Real Estate Group, Inc., General Atlantic Corporation, R.H. Macy and Company, Inc., Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York, Philip Morris Companies Inc., and U.S. Trust Company of New York; as well as Artwatch, Galleries in Support of Artists Space, Members and numerous Friends.
Artists Space is a member of the National Association of Artists Organizations (NAAO) and the National Alliance of Media Arts Centers (NAMAC).

    Robert Gero, <i>Untitled</i>, 1989. Straw, lead, tar.
    Robert Gero, Untitled, 1989. Straw, lead, tar, 8 x 11 x 8 inches. [Robert Gero, Untitled, 1989. Straw, lead, tar.]