Artists Space

"Pictures" at an Exhibition

May 24 – July 14, 2001

Main Space

In two of these galleries is a re-creation of the 1977 Artists Space show Pictures, originally curated by critic Douglas Crimp. Organized under the directorship of Helen Winer (who later co-founded Metro Pictures), the exhibition featured work by Troy Brauntuch, Jack Goldstein, Sherrie Levine, Robert Longo, and Philip Smith. "Pictures" at an Exhibition provides an opportunity to re-activate history while also allowing us to experience firsthand an exhibition considered critical in defining a particular moment in contemporary art history. While every effort has been made to reproduce the show, this is a partial re-creation: some works no longer exist, some were lost, and some could not be borrowed.

A dimly lit corner of a gallery. A large, gray structure with a slight trapezoidal shape hangs on the corner
Pictures. Installation view, Artists Space, 1977. [A dimly lit corner of a gallery. A large, gray structure with a slight trapezoidal shape hangs on the corner's left wall. A series of small figurines of men riding on horses emerge in a line along the top edge of the gray form. Hanging on the corner's right wall is a frieze-style figurine of a man in a white shirt and tie that emerges from the wall. He tilts his head back as his arms bend, one extending forward.]

The press release for Pictures described the show as follows: "The exhibition identifies the work of a group of young artists that represent a new sensibility. The fundamental relationship between the artists under consideration for the show is their use of recognizable, non-abstract images, without, however, resurrecting representation as it is traditionally understood. Because the image itself is of primary importance, the means of its presentation is chosen for its transparency and efficiency. As a result, the artists work in a variety of mediums and shift with ease from one to another. Thus the work range from painting and sculpture to photography, film, and audio recordings."

To further contextualize the moment that Pictures embodied, a show of emerging artists is presented on the other side of the gallery. There exists no straight line between Pictures and the ideas presented by these four artists; rather, their work encourages us to consider the evolution of the conceptual practices behind appropriation. Their work demonstrates the sampling and re-programming that some artists today employ to create their work.

"Pictures" at an Exhibition Exhibition Checklist

"Pictures" at an Exhibition Press Release

Smith, Roberta. "When Photography Became Postmodern." The New York Times. June 29, 2001. Print. E36.

Artists Space would especially like to thank the following people: Matthew Bakkom, Galerie Daniel Buchholz, Eileen and Michael Cohen, Douglas Crimp, Rob Fischer, Charlotta and Peter Kotik, Mai 36 Galerie, Pranayama Frames, Conny Purtill, Hanna Schouwink, Jane Sheffield, Craig Smith, Craig Stout, Helene Winer, the collectors, and the artists.