Arp was here.




Seen on the sidewalk, outside the Barnes Foundation...as if to say, "why isn't any of MY work in the collection??"

Indeed. I consider Jean Arp to be a highly underrated Modernist. His paintings, especially the wooden cutouts, have been influential on my own work.

He is one of the artists who is said to have quipped, "Sculptures are what you bump into while backing up to look at a painting." If this is rightly attributed to Arp, then it's somewhat ironic, since Arp himself made beautiful, amorphous bronzes and marbles. Has anyone else heard this quote? I've heard other artists' names associated with it. Maybe Yves Klein?

PS. By the way, pick up a Philadelphia Weekly next week. You'll be glad you did.

James Erikson  – (Friday, 07 September, 2007)  

It was Ad Reinhardt who said that about sculpture which makes a lot of sense being the curmudgeon he was. I thought John Chamberlain said the same about painting -- it's what you back up into when looking at sculpture. "I know you are but what am I?"

GIERSCHICK  – (Friday, 07 September, 2007)  

Aha! Thanks Jim. That does make more sense. I got the big A right, anyway.

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