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Peter Alexander — Why not
Peter Alexander

Why not

2016

Casting translucent urethane into a long, luminous column, Peter Alexander's "Why not" (2016) captures the paradox that has defined his practice for decades: matter that appears simultaneously solid and immaterial, opaque and suffused with inner light. Measuring nearly two meters in length yet only a few centimeters in depth, the work commands space with quiet authority, its compressed form generating a meditative tension between restraint and radiance. The resin holds color and light in suspension, shifting in appearance as viewing conditions change, so that the piece seems to breathe differently at different hours of the day. Alexander emerged from the Los Angeles art scene of the 1960s alongside figures such as Larry Bell and Robert Irwin, and his investigation of light as a sculptural material has remained remarkably consistent across six decades of practice. "Why not" reflects his mature command of urethane as a medium, a material he has used to distill the atmospheric luminosity of the Southern California environment into portable, collectible form. The title itself carries a note of characteristic lightness, an artist inviting viewers to question their assumptions about what sculpture can be and do. Signed by the artist, this work represents a significant opportunity to acquire a substantial example from Alexander's ongoing engagement with light and perception. The vertical orientation and elongated proportions give "Why not" a quiet presence that adapts to a range of interior environments, functioning as both a formal object and a meditative focal point within a collection.

Medium
Urethane
Overall
Signed
Yes
Location
IMAGO Art Gallery, Lugano

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About this work

Peter Alexander, Why not, 2016

Casting translucent urethane into a long, luminous column, Peter Alexander's "Why not" (2016) captures the paradox that has defined his practice for decades: matter that appears simultaneously solid and immaterial, opaque and suffused with inner light. Measuring nearly two meters in length yet only a few centimeters in depth, the work commands space with quiet authority, its compressed form generating a meditative tension between restraint and radiance. The resin holds color and light in suspension, shifting in appearance as viewing conditions change, so that the piece seems to breathe differently at different hours of the day. Alexander emerged from the Los Angeles art scene of the 1960s alongside figures such as Larry Bell and Robert Irwin, and his investigation of light as a sculptural material has remained remarkably consistent across six decades of practice. "Why not" reflects his mature command of urethane as a medium, a material he has used to distill the atmospheric luminosity of the Southern California environment into portable, collectible form. The title itself carries a note of characteristic lightness, an artist inviting viewers to question their assumptions about what sculpture can be and do. Signed by the artist, this work represents a significant opportunity to acquire a substantial example from Alexander's ongoing engagement with light and perception. The vertical orientation and elongated proportions give "Why not" a quiet presence that adapts to a range of interior environments, functioning as both a formal object and a meditative focal point within a collection.

Medium
Urethane
Dimensions
overall: 195.5 x 16.5 x 2.5 cm
Year
2016
Signed
Hand-signed by the artist
Seen at
IMAGO Art Gallery, Lugano

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Collected by

Jim Arnone, Kylie Cohen, Alex Capecelatro