If we could imagine
March 2009—January 2011
If we could imagine featured paintings, sculptures, and photography from the 1960s through the 1980s by American and European artists. Sharing an interest in unconventional materials, irreverence for traditional artistic boundaries, and curiosity about viewer perception, these artists at times aligned their practice with disparate ideas and movements such as Process Art, Conceptual Art, and Arte Povera. The exhibition borrows its title from Mel Bochner’s 1969 work Imagine the Enclosed Area Blue (1-4), reflecting the sense of wonder that viewers experience when confronting radical art of this period.
Artists
- Giovanni Anselmo
- Joseph Beuys
- Mel Bochner
- Alberto Burri
- Pier Paolo Calzolari
- Christo
- Bruce Conner
- Jan Dibbets
- Dan Flavin
- Lucio Fontana
- Gilbert & George
- David Hammons
- Eva Hesse
- Piero Manzoni
- Mario Merz
- Robert Morris
- Bruce Nauman
- Claes Oldenburg
- Palermo
- Robert Rauschenberg
- Charles Ray
- Fred Sandback
- Jan Schoonhoven
- Richard Serra
- Robert Smithson
- Frank Stella
- Richard Tuttle
- Günther Uecker
Exhibition Preview
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Mel Bochner
Measurement: 12″ (Between The Space of Statements), 2009
Bochner 2009Measurement: 12″ (Between The Space of Statements), 2009
self-adhesive vinyl on wall
½ x 12 inches (1 x 31 cm)
© Mel Bochner
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Mel Bochner https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/BOCHm_GF_Measurement12-1276x733.jpg Two wall-mounted photographs of a man's shoulders and head and a man's arm are spaced 12 inches apart with architectural tick marks. -
Charles Ray
32 x 33 x 35 = 34 x 33 x 35, 1989
Ray 198932 x 33 x 35 = 34 x 33 x 35, 1989
aluminum
32 x 33 x 35 inches (81 x 84 x 89 cm) exterior
34 x 33 x 35 inches (86 x 84 x 89 cm) interior
© Charles Ray, courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery
Photo: Ron Amstutz
Ron Amstutz Charles Ray https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/RAYc_GF_32x33x35_34x33x35-1067x800.jpg -
David Hammons
How Ya Like Me Now?, 1988
Hammons 1988How Ya Like Me Now?, 1988
tin, plywood, sledgehammers, Lucky Strike cigarette wrapper, and American flag
158 x 222 x 48 inches (401 x 564 x 122 cm) overall
© 2023 David Hammons / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Photo: Ron Amstutz
Ron Amstutz David Hammons https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/HAMMd_GF_HowYa-1.jpg -
David Hammons
Untitled, 1987
Hammons 1987Untitled, 1987
wood, wire, rubber balls and bottle caps
93 x 48 x 17 ½ inches (236 x 122 x 44 cm)
© 2023 David Hammons / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com David Hammons https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/HAMMd_GF_Untitled_1987-618x800.jpg -
Bruce Nauman
Diamond Mind (Diamond Mind Circle of Tears Fallen All Around Me), 1975
Nauman 1975Diamond Mind (Diamond Mind Circle of Tears Fallen All Around Me), 1975
sandstone rhombohedrons
rhombohedrons, each 15 x 15 x 15 inches (38 x 38 x 38 cm)
157 ½ inches (400 cm) diameter
© 2023 Bruce Nauman / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Bruce Nauman https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/NAUMb_GF_DiamondMind-1276x606.jpg -
Gilbert & George
BLOODY LIFE No. 12, 1975
George 1975BLOODY LIFE No. 12, 1975
mixed media
97 x 81 inches (246 x 206 cm) overall
© Gilbert and George
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Gilbert & George https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/GILB_GF_BloodyLife-666x800.jpg -
Charles Ray
All My Clothes, 1973
Ray 1973All My Clothes, 1973
Kodachrome photographs mounted on board
5 x 55 ½ inches (13 x 141 cm)
© Charles Ray, courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Charles Ray https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/RAYc_GF_AllMyClothes-1276x115.jpg -
Jan Dibbets
Big Comet Sea Sky Sea 3˚ – 60˚, 1973
Dibbets 1973Big Comet Sea Sky Sea 3˚ – 60˚, 1973
individually framed color photographs
167 x 267 inches (424 x 678 cm) overall
© 2023 Jan Dibbets / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Jan Dibbets https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/DIBBj_GF_BigComet-1167x800.jpg Twenty framed photographs in shades of teal stacked in sequence from bottom right to top left to form a curved line. -
Gilbert & George
G and G, 1973
George 1973G and G, 1973
mixed media
83 x 215 inches (211 x 348 cm) overall
© Gilbert and George
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Gilbert & George https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/GILB_GF_GG-1276x771.jpg -
Robert Rauschenberg
Untitled (Early Egyptian), 1973
Rauschenberg 1973Untitled (Early Egyptian), 1973
cardboard, fabric, sand, pillow and Day-Glo paint
78 x 35 x 18 ½ inches (198 x 89 x 47 cm)
© Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Robert Rauschenberg https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/rauschenberg-Untitled-Early-Egyptian-519x800.jpg -
Charles Ray
Untitled, 1971
Ray 1971Untitled, 1971
steel and concrete
34 x 189 x 13 inches (86 x 480 x 33 cm)
© Charles Ray, courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery
Photo: Ron Amstutz
Charles Ray https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/RAYc_untitled_final.jpg -
Robert Rauschenberg
Lake Placid/Glori-Fried/Yarns from New England, 1971
Rauschenberg 1971Lake Placid/Glori-Fried/Yarns from New England, 1971
cardboard, rope, and wood pole
114 ¾ x 180 x 20 inches (292 x 457 x 51 cm) overall
© Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Robert Rauschenberg https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/rauschenberg-Lake-PlacidGlori-FriedYarns-from-New-England-1182x800.jpg -
Pier Paolo Calzolari
Without other troubles than my own other rumblings than mine, 1970
Calzolari 1970Without other troubles than my own other rumblings than mine, 1970
mattress, neon tubing, and refrigerator unit
75 x 126 x 22 ½ inches (190 x 320 x 57 cm) overall
© Pier Paolo Calzolari
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Pier Paolo Calzolari https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/CALZp_GF_WithoutOther-1192x800.jpg A mattress hangs on a wall with blue neon tubing plugged into a transformer. The cursive neon says "without other troubles than my own other rumblings than mine." -
Jan Dibbets
The Longest Day of 1970 from noon to sundown, Aktionsraum I, München, 1970
Dibbets 1970The Longest Day of 1970 from noon to sundown, Aktionsraum I, München, 1970
color photographs on Plexiglas
63 x 64 ½ inches (160 x 164 cm)
© 2023 Jan Dibbets / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Jan Dibbets https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/DIBBj_GF_LongestDay-817x800.jpg Fifty-four photos of an interior scene containing a desk and windows. The photos show the scene progressively through the day from morning to night. Photos are stacked in six columns and nine rows. -
Mel Bochner
Imagine the Enclosed Area Blue (1-4), 1969
Bochner 1969Imagine the Enclosed Area Blue (1-4), 1969
blue powder pigment and vinyl on wall
48 x 240 inches (122 x 610 cm) overall
© Mel Bochner
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Mel Bochner https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/BOCHm_GF_ImagineEnclosed-1276x686.jpg The words "IMAGINE THE ENCLOSED AREA BLUE" are painted on the wall four times in variously executed fields of blue which do or do not enclose the text.. -
Mel Bochner
Recopy (If we could imagine…), 1969
Bochner 1969Recopy (If we could imagine…), 1969
chalk and acrylic paint on wall
72 x 67 inches (183 x 170 cm)
© Mel Bochner
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Mel Bochner https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/BOCHm_GF_Recopy-600x800.jpg A black rectangular field is painted on a wall with an uneven, dripping bottom. White questions and statements are written in chalk on the field. -
Jan Dibbets
Perspective Correction- My Studio II, 3: Square with Cross on Floor, 1969
Dibbets 1969Perspective Correction- My Studio II, 3: Square with Cross on Floor, 1969
black-and-white photograph on photographic canvas
43 ¼ x 43 ⅜ x ¾ inches (110 x 110 x 2 cm)
© 2023 Jan Dibbets / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Jan Dibbets https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/DIBBj_GF_PerspectiveCorrection-e1532008422281-800x800.jpg A white room with three windows, a radiator and a dark wooden floor. In the center of the floor is a white square with a single crosshatch. -
Mel Bochner
Actual Size (Face) / Actual Size (Hand), 1968
Bochner 1968Actual Size (Face) / Actual Size (Hand), 1968
gelatin silver prints
each 22 x 14 ½ inches (56 x 36 cm)
© Mel Bochner
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Mel Bochner https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/BOCHm_GF_ActualSize-1276x733.jpg Black and white photographs of a face in profile and arm with hand. These are next to a hand-drawn dimension string, the number 12 and inches symbol -
Fred Sandback
Untitled, 1968/1983
Sandback 1968Untitled, 1968/1983
acrylic primer on mild-steel rod
each 35 ⅞ x 35 ⅞ x 35 ⅞ inches (91 x 91 x 91 cm)
35 ⅞ x 158 ⅝ x 35 ⅞ inches (91 x 403 x 91 cm) overall
© Fred Sandback Archive
Photo: Cathy Carver
Cathy Carver Fred Sandback https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SANDf_GF_Untitled.jpg -
Joseph Beuys
Erdtelephon (Earth Telephone), 1968
Beuys 1968Erdtelephon (Earth Telephone), 1968
telephone, cords, earth, and grass on wood board
8 x 29 ⅞ x 27 inches (20 x 76 x 69 cm)
© 2023 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Joseph Beuys https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/BEUYj_GF_EarthTelephone-1066x800.jpg Black rotary telephone with black wire connecting to mud mound on top of brown grass on top of wood block. -
Bruce Nauman
My Last Name Exaggerated Fourteen Times Vertically, 1967
Nauman 1967My Last Name Exaggerated Fourteen Times Vertically, 1967
neon-tubing with clear glass-tubing suspension frame
63 x 33 x 2 inches (160 x 84 x 5 cm)
© 2023 Bruce Nauman / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Bruce Nauman https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/NAUMb_GF_LastNameExaggerated-e1536935866182-714x800.jpg -
Palermo
Untitled, 1967
Palermo 1967Untitled, 1967
wood strips covered with painted muslin and triangle of stretched matte-blue muslin
136 x 30 x 3 ⅛ inches (345 x 76 x 8 cm)
© 2023 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Palermo https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/PALEb_GF_Untitled_1967-e1531927847529-385x800.jpg -
Robert Morris
Untitled, 1967
Morris 1967Untitled, 1967
felt
dimensions variable
approximately 99 x 98 x 38 inches (252 x 249 x 97 cm)
© 2023 The Estate of Robert Morris / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Robert Morris https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/MORRr_GF_Untitled-600x800.jpg -
Richard Tuttle
Canvas Dark Blue, 1967
Tuttle 1967Canvas Dark Blue, 1967
dyed and shaped unstretched canvas
68 in x 35 ⅛ inches (173 x 90 cm)
© Richard Tuttle, courtesy Pace Gallery
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Richard Tuttle https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/tuttle-Canvas-Dark-Blue-670x800.jpg -
Robert Smithson
Alogon III, 1967
Smithson 1967Alogon III, 1967
painted steel
46 x 196 x 46 inches (117 x 498 x 117 cm) overall
© 2023 Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Robert Smithson https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/smithson_Alogon-III-1276x425.jpg -
Richard Serra
White Neon Belt Piece, 1967
Serra 1967White Neon Belt Piece, 1967
vulcanized rubber, neon tubing, cable, iron clips, and transformer
75 x 15 x 17 inches (191 x 38 x 43 cm)
© 2023 Richard Serra / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Photo: Ron Amstutz
Ron Amstutz Richard Serra https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SERRr_GF_Belt-600x800.jpg -
Bruce Nauman
Untitled, 1965
Nauman 1965Untitled, 1965
fiberglass, polyester resin, and glitter
105 x 20 ½ x 9 inches (267 x 52 x 23 cm)
© 2023 Bruce Nauman / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Bruce Nauman https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/NAUMb_GF_Untitled_1965-e1536935705368-720x800.jpg -
Lucio Fontana
Concetto spaziale, Attesa (Spatial Concept, Expectation), 1965
Fontana 1965Concetto spaziale, Attesa (Spatial Concept, Expectation), 1965
oil on canvas
76 x 50 inches (193 x 127 cm)
© 2023 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SIAE, Rome
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Lucio Fontana https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/FONTl_GF_ConcettoSpaziale-e1531854264859-533x800.jpg A rectangular canvas is painted in off-white. It has been slashed vertically in the middle. -
Christo
Show Window, 1965
Christo 1965Show Window, 1965
galvanized metal, wood, Plexiglas, fabric, lacquered Masonite, and aluminium
84 x 48 x 3 ½ inches (213 x 122 x 9 cm)
© Christo 1965
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Christo https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/christo-Show-Window-1-527x800.jpg Slightly sagging white fabric hangs a few inches from the top of a silver-colored frame. -
Eva Hesse
Several, 1965
On View Hesse 1965Several, 1965
acrylic, Papier-mâché, latex, and rubber
four units, dimensions variable
approximately 88 x 11 x 7 inches (224 x 28 x 18 cm)
© The Estate of Eva Hesse. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
On View Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Eva Hesse https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/HESSe_245_001_crop-441x800.jpg -
Frank Stella
Nunca Pasa Nada (Nothing Ever Happens), 1964
Stella 1964Nunca Pasa Nada (Nothing Ever Happens), 1964
metallic pigment on canvas
110 x 222 inches (279 x 564 cm)
© 2023 Frank Stella / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Frank Stella https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/STELf_GF_NuncaPasaNada-1276x690.jpg -
Alberto Burri
Grande Bianco Plastica (Large White Plastic), 1964
On View Burri 1964Grande Bianco Plastica (Large White Plastic), 1964
burned plastic on aluminum frame
74 ¼ x 113 ¼ inches (189 x 288 cm)
© 2023 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SIAE, Rome
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
On View Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Alberto Burri https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/BURRa_GF_GrandeBianco-1217x800.jpg Clear plastic is stretched over a black frame with a white background and has about 12 scorched circular holes of various sizes. -
Günther Uecker
Bewegtes Feld (Animated Field), 1963
Uecker 1963Bewegtes Feld (Animated Field), 1963
oil, wall paint, nails, and canvas on wood board
34 ⅜ x 34 ⅜ x 3 ⅝ inches (87 x 87 x 9 cm)
© 2018 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Günther Uecker https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/UECKg_GF_Bewegtes-e1532003577860-766x800.jpg -
Jan Schoonhoven
R61-5, Jalouzieënreliëf (Fanlight-shutters), 1961
Schoonhoven 1961R61-5, Jalouzieënreliëf (Fanlight-shutters), 1961
wood, cardboard, paper, and emulsion paint
39 ⅜ x 31 ⅞ inches (100 x 81 cm)
© 2023 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / c/o Pictoright Amsterdam
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Jan Schoonhoven https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/SCHOj_GF_R61-5.jpg -
Christo
Empaquetage (Package), 1961
Christo 1961Empaquetage (Package), 1961
fabric, polyethylene, rope, and board
33 x 29 ½ x 9 inches (84 x 75 x 23 cm)
© Christo 1961
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Christo https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/christo-empaquetage_jpg_gf2008.136.jpg Fabric and plastic in a tall rectangular composition is tied all over with rope -
Piero Manzoni
Achrome, 1960
Manzoni 1960Achrome, 1960
kaolin and glue on folded canvas
31 ½ x 39 ¼ inches (80 x 100 cm)
© 2023 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SIAE, Rome
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Piero Manzoni https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/MANZp_GF_Achrome-1-978x800.jpg -
Bruce Conner
No Baby, 1960
Conner 1960No Baby, 1960
wood, glass, fabric, and found objects
77 x 13 ½ x 10 inches (196 x 34 x 25 cm)
© 2023 Conner Family Trust, San Francisco / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Bruce Conner https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/CONNb_GF_NoBaby-e1531945224493-341x800.jpg A rectangular wooden sculpture wrapped in pieces of cloth with shreds of fabric dripping from the bottom. -
Claes Oldenburg
C-E-L-I-N-E, Backwards, 1959
Oldenburg 1959C-E-L-I-N-E, Backwards, 1959
newspaper soaked in wheat paste over wire frame, painted with casein
30 x 40 x 3 inches (76 x 102 x 8 cm)
© 2009 Claes Oldenburg
Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com
Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.com Claes Oldenburg https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/oldenburg_C-E-L-I-N-E-Backwards-1021x800.jpg
Publications
If We Could Imagine (2009)
Foreword and Introduction by Emily Wei Rales. Essay by Jeffrey Weiss.
This catalogue accompanies Glenstone’s second exhibition, If We Could Imagine, which features painting, sculpture, and photography by American and European artists from the Glenstone collection dating from 1959 to 1989. It examines the trajectory of overlapping aesthetic tendencies including Process art, Arte Povera, and Conceptual art through the work of artists from disparate backgrounds who shared an interest in unconventional materials, irreverence for traditional rules governing art, emphasis on retaining marks of process, and increased concern for how the viewer perceives art. The exhibition owes its title to a 1969 work by Mel Bochner consisting of a painting executed by the artist directly on the wall. In borrowing Bochner’s title, the exhibition echoes the sense of wonderment that viewers and critics were experiencing in their confrontation with the radical development taking place in art during this time.
Publisher: Glenstone Museum
ISBN: 9780980108613
Publication date: 2009
Page count: 140
$50.00
https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/GLENSTONE_IMAGINE_BOOK-01A-810x1080.jpg
