Some Pictures of the Infinite

First museum survey of Josiah McElheny at ICA Boston

In McElheny’s diverse body of work, the infinite crops up again and again: from intricate patterns in glass, such as the dizzying spirals that grace a set of handblown plates, to the endless reflection of mirrored surfaces.

Over the past two decades, the problem of infinity has driven McElheny’s efforts to represent the unrepresentable, as the infinite by definition must always elude stable grasp.

Trained at both the Rhode Island School of Design and the glass foundries of Europe, McElheny’s highly conceptual projects are realized through exquisitely wrought execution. Though his artistic output varies widely, glassblowing is McElheny’s technique of choice. His impressive command of glassmaking was honed over years of intensive apprenticeship, and his mastery of such skilled labor produces visually arresting works, leveling hierarchies between craft and fine art.

The exhibition at ICA Boston features 21 works, including sculpture, installation, film, photography, performance and a new large-scale work which will make its debut at the museum.

22 June to 14 October, 2012

Institute of Contemporary Art
100 Northern Avenue
Boston, MA 02210
USA
open Tuesday - Sunday 10 am to 5 pm
Thursday and Friday to 9 pm

19.06.2012