Description
Gordon Matta-Clark used to say that one of his favorite definitions of the difference between architecture and sculpture was whether there was plumbing. From Kazimir Malevich and Joseph Hoffman to Jeff Wall and Lacaton & Vassal, this rather blunt definition still appears to go a long way. Ranging from Donald Judd’s project in Marfa, Texas, to what contemporary artists invoke when talking about architecture and contemporary architects invoke when they exhibit their work in art venues, this course will reflect on the mirroring relationships that these fields have entertained since modernism. Students will be asked to speculate on these issues in compelling ways, as well as to discuss the central role that the gallery plays in the world that both disciplines navigate today. Engaging texts as well as visiting LA-based exhibitions and artists’ studios and taking a research trip to Marfa, the course will go back and forth between historical and contemporary examples. In addition to addressin