03rd Jul 2008
Blinky Palermo
Blinky Palermo: To the People of New York City, 1976, Filzstift auf Zeichenkarton, unterer Rand unregelmäßig abgerissen, 43.5 x 65 cm, Privatbesitz
Blinky Palermo: Happier than the Morning Sun (to Stevie Wonder), 1975, Suite of four granolithographs on paper, 57.8 x 80.6 cm each, and one (1) plywood triangle, 56.2 x 24.8 x 1.6 cm, Edition 13 of 20 (Zwirner and Wirth)
Hi — me again.
I was just about to do a post on Blinky myself. I’ve been waiting for the reissue of the Lynn Cooke book – To the People of NYC – which as far as I can tell is supposed to be available in August. Just to share my experience with you again — One of the pivotal art experiences of my life was seeing To the People… at Heiner Friedrich in 1977 – just after he died. I was not aware of him at the time, and saw the show at Alanna Heiss’ recommendation. To say the least – it blew me away — impossible to describe the charged atmosphere of that space. For all its formal and programmatic appearances, the work was tapping a deep cultural well – very emotional – and very different from “minimalism”. It was very related to things I had been working on at the time — but so clear and deep, it just blew me out of the water. I will elaborate on my blog soon.
[...] Hello Binky Palermo (Interactive EU Berkeley) Chris Ashley (Look, See) must have coded this work so do not skip. (Here is an old post on Blinky by Chris A) [...]
As time passes, and images come & go, Palermo’s work holds up incredibly well. It’s just so generous – I can’t think of another word for it. One day I’d love to see a show of the work of Palermo & Antonio Calderara together; with a parallel show of Jopsef Albers & John McLaughlin. I think they would be enough there to last a few decades of reflection.
Thanks for your comment, Tony, and yes, I agree on Palermo. I also appreciate seeing McLaughlin’s name mentioned- as a Californian, I’m well acquainted with his work, and it’s always been important to me. However, in much of the world, the recognition his work deserves is long overdue. Not that money is the final measure of value, but I was surprised to see two paintings in a recent Sotheby’s auction, and even more surprised by how low the prices were in relation to other artists of his generation and reputation.
Thanks for stopping by.