Richard Serra at the Grand Palais
Dear Shaded Viewers,
“It’s not about the oeuvre, it is about the experience.” Richard Serra
The American sculptor Richard Serra is the second artist to accept the challenge of the Monumenta which is to create a group of new work that treats the 13,500 m2 glass palace, the Grand Palais. Richard Serra took on the challenge with great success.
“Form in itself does not have a value. I am interested in how forms metamorphose into other forms.” Richard Serra
In 1965 when Richard Serra was a student at Yale he came to Paris and discovered Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957). Today at the opening of his exhibition Richard Serra stated that if it had not been for Brancusi he would have never became a sculptor.
The five steel plates that vertically fill the volume of the Grand Palais measure 4 m wide, 17 m high and 5 1/2 inches deep. The nave of the Grand Palais is 45 meters high at its center. Even though Mr. Serra built a scale model of the plates he said that he knew that he was taking a great risk.
“My anxiety was could the 5 plates hold the space? Until the first plate went up it was a great risk. I could only take a deep breath once the 5th plate was installed. One cannot predict scale in relation to context until the scale actually arrives in the context.” Richard Serra
“A difference between architecture and sculpture – gravity has a force which every sculptor has to contend with.” “Gravity is a force which I’ve employed ever since I built a house of cards.”
“I do not subscribe to Formalism, form is an evolving language, invention of form allows us to perceive.” Richard Serra
Your private experience in a public space will never allow you to see all 5 plates at the same time.
“The subject matter is your experience walking in and around the plates. No content, the real content is the walking experience.” Richard Serra.
Richard Serra was emotionally moved when he received a medal of honour. He admitted that he feels this is his greatest work.
Highly recommended by A Shaded View. Mr. Serra suggests that you experience the installation at night.
Monumenta 2008:Richard Serra
May 7 till June 15
Grand Palais
Ave Winston Churchill, 8th arr.
Metro: Champs-Elysees-Clemenceau
Monday & Wednesday 10AM-7PM
Thursday to Saturday 10AM-11PM
Later,
Diane
Richard Serra wearing his newly acquired medal, it is not his first but he told fellow journalist, Alexandra Marshall, that he will be happy to wear it.
