B. Wurtz Minimalist Art

In a season of fine art defined by bronze castings and expensive wirings, seeing a gallery filled with rearranged commonplace objects seems slightly out of place. Over the past 40 years, minimalist artist B. Wurtz has made extraordinary pieces using every day objects (or at least objects that were used every day at the time the art was made) like vinyl records, lamp stands, plastic shopping bags and more. While found-object art, or assemblage, has seen great expansion and increased popularity in the last decade as artists try to become more eco-friendly and laud their ability to use recycled materials, Wurtz’s work cannot be defined or characterized by this category, as his exhibit features 64 pieces spanning over four decades, long before using all recycled materials became the trend. Furthermore, Wurtz’s pieces are not always solely constructed by pre-existing objects or focused on recyclability, which is why his work maintains to be be strictly minimalist rather than a fusion between minimalism and some other form of green trend. Because of this, the Feature, Inc. show at White Columns in Greenwich Village, New York makes us question what it really means to create with what we have, and how avoiding costly techniques and expensive materials doesn’t always have to be a political statement. digital satellite television

At the same time, each piece makes a strong statement about what fine art really is, and how fine art cannot be defined by bravura, which is not needed to hold our attention and make us think critically. B. Wurtz makes strong statements with his pieces, whether made of shoe strings, grocery bags, wire hangars or scrap wood. Even the Berkeley grad’s chosen signature leaves ambiguity about his gender and thus a strong feminist statement. But despite all the intrigue and uncommon signatures that communicate tenacity to the refined art world, Wurtz still manages to inscribe some humor and light-hearted eccentricities into his work, creating a complete-package exploration, and the first solo exhibit that is a must-see for gallery goers.