American, b. 1941
Subverting the distinctions between abstraction and representation, Joel Shapiro reconsiders the modern figurative tradition by creating abstract geometric sculpture that elicits a sense of movement and engages viewers’ physical and psychological relationships with space. In his recent investigations of the expressive possibility of form and color in space, the artist suspends painted wooden elements from the ceiling, wall, and floor, exploring the projection of thought into space without the constraint of architecture.
Inspired by prominent Minimalist sculptors such as Carl Andre, Donald Judd, and Richard Serra, Shapiro extrapolates their aesthetic into works that are more colorful and playful that those of his peers. “Conceptual art seemed awfully illustrative and pedantic,” he explained of working in the 1960s. “I thought my problem was to describe an emotional state, my own longing or desire. My work was small but ambitious, and it was much more abstract.” Born on September 27, 1941 in Queens, NY, Shapiro went on to receive both his BA and MA from New York University, and travel extensively while serving in the Peace Corp, notably to India.
Shapiro has executed more than thirty commissions and publicly-sited sculptures in major Asian, European, and North American cities. In 2011, the artist energized the monumental forty-three-foot-tall gallery at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Germany with fifteen vibrantly painted wooden elements.
Inspired by prominent Minimalist sculptors such as Carl Andre, Donald Judd, and Richard Serra, Shapiro extrapolates their aesthetic into works that are more colorful and playful that those of his peers. “Conceptual art seemed awfully illustrative and pedantic,” he explained of working in the 1960s. “I thought my problem was to describe an emotional state, my own longing or desire. My work was small but ambitious, and it was much more abstract.” Born on September 27, 1941 in Queens, NY, Shapiro went on to receive both his BA and MA from New York University, and travel extensively while serving in the Peace Corp, notably to India.
Shapiro has executed more than thirty commissions and publicly-sited sculptures in major Asian, European, and North American cities. In 2011, the artist energized the monumental forty-three-foot-tall gallery at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Germany with fifteen vibrantly painted wooden elements.
