Wally Hedrick
The War Room, 1967/68 – 2002
Oil on canvas
335 x 347 x 347 cm / 131 7/8 x 136 5/8 x 136 5/8 in
Courtesy of the Estate of Wally Hedrick, Hauser & Wirth
and The Box, Los Angeles
Photo: Fredrik Nilsen
Robert Mallary
Harpy, 1962
Polyester resin impregnated tuxedoes and steel
228.6 x 284.5 x 66 cm / 90 x 112 x 26 in
Courtesy of the Estate of Robert Mallary, Hauser & Wirth
and The Box, Los Angeles
Photo: Fredrik Nilsen
Hauser & Wirth London presents ‘The Historical Box’ The exhibition showcases key pieces by influential American artists including John Altoon, Judith Bernstein, Simone Forti, Wally Hedrick, Robert Mallary, Barbara T. Smith and Stan VanDerBeek, many of which have never been exhibited in the UK.
23 May – 28 July 2012.
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Source: Hauser & Wirth London
‘The Historical Box’ brings together a collection of important performance, film, dance, drawings and sculpture created during the political and social turmoil of the Sixties and Seventies in the USA. It aims not only to broaden the canon of art history, but also to highlight the contemporary relevance of the issues which these artists confronted over three decades ago.
Upon entering the main gallery, visitors encounter Wally Hedrick’s massive installation, ‘The War Room’ (1967/68 – 2002) and the black tondo painting ‘Rhondo (Irac, 2003)’ (1970 – 2003). Initially a response to the Vietnam War, ‘The War Room’ is constructed from eight large canvases, which Hedrick referred to as ‘wounded veterans’. Painted black and bolted together, these canvases create a room into which visitors can walk – immersing themselves in a dark contemplative space. Since its creation, Hedrick re-painted ‘The War Room’ twice for both the Gulf War and the Iraq War, emphasising the unavoidable parallels between these three conflicts.
Robert Mallary‘s sculptures and assemblages, made from abject materials draped over wood and metal frames, line the walls of the Piccadilly gallery. ‘Harpy’ (1962), named after the violent, mythological creature with a human head and bird-like body, is a tattered, winged figure, constructed from old tuxedos over thin steel rods and frozen in place with polyester resin. Barbara T. Smith was a pioneer of feminist performance art during the Sixties and Seventies. Archival material from a selection of her most well-known performances, such as ‘Feed Me’ (1973) and ‘Scan 1’ (1974), will be on display in ‘The Historical Box’.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a screening of films by Stan VanDerBeek. VanDerBeek is considered by many to be one of the first multimedia artists.
Related content
Ron Mueck at Hauser & Wirth London (exhibition, 2012)
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