RETROSPECTIVE – GORDON MATTA-CLARK
PRESS RELEASE
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago has compiled the first comprehensive survey of the work of American-born Gordon Matta-Clark (1943–1978). Matta-Clark was one of the most definitive innovators of art in the late 1960s and 1970s. He explored radical new artistic methods while deliberately breaking conventional boundaries. From the outset, his approach involved examining and often combining various art forms, including architecture, performance, drawing, sculpture, photography, and film. For Matta-Clark, art and life were inseparably intertwined. His mediums included food, housing, vehicles and their remnants, abandoned buildings, scrap materials, and more. This inseparability of art and life is exemplified in his contributions to the SoHo art community, his piece Agar (1969–1970), a permanent plant installation in his studio, and the numerous experiments at the alternative gallery 112 Greene Street.
Gordon Matta-Clark was the son of surrealist painter Roberto Matta, and his childhood environment was rich with artistic inspiration. His family’s circle of friends included intellectuals from various fields, such as surrealists André Breton, Marcel Duchamp, and Max Ernst, as well as several representatives of Abstract Expressionism. Following in his father’s footsteps, Matta-Clark initially studied architecture, believing it to be the most socially significant form of art. After graduating from the prestigious architecture department at Cornell University in 1968, Matta-Clark remained in Ithaca to assist with the first land art exhibition. There, he met artists such as Dennis Oppenheim, Robert Smithson, Hans Haacke, Walter De Maria, and Jan Dibbets.
Perhaps the most visible influence of these early land art projects on Matta-Clark’s work can be seen in his treatment of scale. Later, he emphasized a key difference: while Oppenheim and Smithson viewed nature as a blank canvas, Matta-Clark operated within urban environments—spaces that were chaotic, pre-formed, yet easily accessible and modifiable.
Matta-Clark is best known for his projects in which he literally cut through or penetrated existing buildings, creating new spatial experiences and monumental sculptural works. From the remnants of these “cuts,” he created individual “sculptures.” His photographs, often documenting these temporary architectural interventions, form an essential part of his overall body of work.
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After completing his studies, Matta-Clark moved to New York in 1968, during a period of national upheaval and significant artistic transformation. Artists gravitated toward Minimalism, delving into fundamental questions through art. Process art, land art, and performance opened up new avenues for artistic development. For Matta-Clark, art was about transforming space: instead of building, he revealed what already existed. These projects often involved direct risks and dangers, as he frequently found himself literally defying laws and death.
In 1973, Matta-Clark co-founded the Anarchitecture group alongside George Trakas, Richard Nonas, Suzanne Harris, Richard Landry, Tina Girouard, Jeffrey Lew, Jene Highstein, and later Laurie Anderson, Susan Weil, Jean Dupuy, and Bernard Kirschenbaum. This loose collective of artists explored architectural scale, place, and metaphor in their work. Their approach emphasized modifying existing buildings rather than constructing new ones. Laurie Anderson later described Anarchitecture as more of a literary group, where the members’ communication played a central role in shaping their shared societal and artistic perspectives.
Matta-Clark used architectural spaces in his politically charged art to critique societal structures. Through his anarchistic approach, he created new spatial relationships within existing forms by cutting and altering structures, allowing light and space to take effect. He deliberately chose abandoned buildings, warehouses, and other neglected spaces—locations that, in a sense, symbolized societal failure.
“There are many social dimensions to dismantling a building that I try to highlight: first, breaking apart a space—one whose final form is shaped not only by physical conditions but also by the construction industry. This industry produces dreary suburban environments and box-like cities. Such environments pacify and isolate people whose lives are tied to them. — In my work, I am essentially challenging this status quo, which has failed to meet the true demands of life.”
Stylistically, Matta-Clark’s art is related to Minimalism, conceptual art, and performance art, though Dada can be seen as its spiritual foundation. Matta-Clark himself acknowledged the liberating force of Dada, which, on an imaginative level, broke free from conventions.
The following excerpts from memorial tributes by Matta-Clark’s friends reflect his role as a catalytic figure in the dynamic art world of the 1970s:
“Gordon was the simulator of 112 Greene Street; he brought the spark to it. He was irresistible, and you couldn’t help but like him. He was quick, sharp, and intensely focused. — Gordon won people over like a child. He was literally a child of art, both in his outward demeanor and in the depths of his being.”
— Alice Aycock, sculptor
“His work was connected to the world of architecture: an intensely personal relationship with concrete forms. He was essentially a cross-disciplinary artist of a transforming world, its heart surgeon.”
— Dennis Oppenheim, artist
“Gordon was a great teacher. He taught that art is the ability to remember. What an artist does is something that connects to our memories. The experience stays with us indelibly.”
— Holly Solomon, gallerist
“Gordon lived with passionate intensity, caring for others but being indifferent toward himself. — His work had the dimension of Shiva, the god of destruction, and his personality was like Dionysus, the god of wine. My strongest memories of my friend are of his brilliant, lively nature and his wild moves on the dance floor.”
— Alan Saret, artist
“When Gordon died, he was surrounded by friends, and even that became another event. Gordon had the power to make everything into an event. — He gave all of us present a precious gift. Gordon showed us how to face death with confidence and gave others the courage to live.”
— Les Levine, artist
Gordon Matta-Clark died of cancer in 1978 at the age of just 35. His final words to Jeffrey Lew were an encouraging call to action: “Everyone has the chance to write their own book. I’ve written mine, and now you can write yours.”
Translated with ChatGPT