“Stingel's work is an X ray of his memory, of the memory of his painting. The real thing, the physical object, or the real person has already disappeared, irradiated by time” - Rudolf Stingel, 2011
Rudolf Stingel transforms humble Celotex insulation board and aluminum foil into a meditative surface that bears the physical traces of human touch and passage of time. Presented in two parts, the work invites viewers to leave their own marks on its malleable surface, collapsing the boundary between artist and audience. The piece embodies Stingel's ongoing investigation into memory, impermanence, and the ghostly residue that remains after lived experience fades.
- Medium
- Celotex insulation, aluminum foil on board, in 2 parts
- Spotted At
- Auction House · Phillips
🔨 Auction Lot
Contemporary Art Evening Sale
November 11, 2013
More by Rudolf Stingel
styrofoam, 4 panels
“Zen is about acceptance, right?” Mr. Stingel said. “So that’s the way it is. I do sit and look at him sometimes — we have a meaningful relationship. You can’t get over it. You just live with it.” - Rudolph Stingel
The radicalness of Stingel’s Cellotex panels is often underestimated. While rejecting any suggestion of being a social, political or conceptual gesture, these works may be some of the most open and brave moments in recent contemporary art production. As with his provocative instruction book on how to make his paintings, Stingel once again gives himself and his work, in their totality, to the public and the viewer. He invites the viewer inside the surface of his work, and allows anyone to make a 'contribution' to it. The critical voice of the viewer becomes part of the work. Like magnetic tape, the artist records the viewer’s reaction to his work – not simply verbally, but physically.
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