Spencer Finch “H2O”

James Cohan (291 Grand St.)

This event has ended.

James Cohan presents H2O, an exhibition of new and historic work by Spencer Finch. This is Finch’s fifth solo exhibition with James Cohan.

Perception, the memory of visual phenomena, and the impossible attempts to precisely describe them are central to Spencer Finch’s installation work. This exhibition centers on Cloud (H2O), 2005, one of the earliest examples of this important facet of the artist’s practice. Hundreds of incandescent bulbs hang from the ceiling in a cloud-like formation, the bulbs functioning as models of the chemical formula of water - two hydrogen atoms and a single oxygen atom. Finch’s translation of a cloud broken down into its chemical state hints at water’s natural ability to exist in solid, liquid and gaseous states all at once, and serves as a potent reminder of the phenomenal possibilities of nature. Cloud (H2O) illustrates Finch’s interest in the dichotomy between abstraction and representation, perception and imagination, physical and ephemeral. Like many of Finch’s works, the installation presents an alternative notion of representation – one that is simultaneously scientific and symbolic.

In addition to this early Molecule light installation, H2O features a new textile work and a series of new drawings. Together, these works deepen Finch’s investigations into light, reflection, water, and the impermanence of human perception.