Pace Prints has the rare privilege to exhibit a selection of the collages and wall sculptures that Louise Nevelson created between the mid-1950s and late 1970s. Featuring seventeen collages and two wall sculptures, this show provides viewers the opportunity to explore a lesser-known, yet essential aspect of the artist’s oeuvre.
Although Nevelson is best known for her large-scale wooden sculptures, she continuously sought out new means of expression throughout her career. Nevelson began exploring collage in the mid 1950s and continued to do so for the next three decades. Using wood, paper, and other materials, the artist created works that were just a step removed from her low-relief wall sculptures. In recalling a visit to the artist’s studio, Richard Solomon said: “This process of making collages seemed to trigger more and more energy and exhilaration as Nevelson worked. She assembled them almost as though she were making instant sketches.”
The collages are a more important part of Nevelson’s oeuvre than has generally been assumed. The artist compared much of her work, as well as life and lifestyle, to collages on many occasions. Since she rarely made sketches or plans for her larger sculptures before she they were executed, these collages are like rare glimpses into Nevelson’s complicated and innovative artistic process.
Louise Nevelson was born in Kiev, Russia in 1899 and moved permanently to the United States with her family in 1905. She spent the majority of her adult life in New York City, where she studied alongside artists such as Hans Hofmann and George Grosz and became an integral member of the arts community. By the 1960s, Nevelson attained status as an internationally renowned sculptor. Her work has been collected and exhibited by major American institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Whitney Museum, New York; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; as well as abroad. She has been represented by the Pace Gallery since 1964.