Intro
'Throughout his forty-year career, Allan McCollum has wrestled with the vexed distinctions people make between objects created in quantity and objects created as singular; between objects that are deemed to be alike and objects that are deemed to be different; between objects made by hand and objects made with the aid of machines; between objects created at home and objects created in factories; between objects that come into being through the actions of an individual and objects that come into being through the actions of a group.' -- Art News
'Now it is probably evident in my work that I suffer some preoccupation with absence, and with death, and with how the objects we produce and the objects we collect work to defer our knowledge of death, displace our fears of it and so forth. All artists know how every symbolic object exists in some way to represent that which is not present, that which is absent, that which is gone, that which is beyond recall. And I think that making as many molds and casts as I've made has worked symbolically for me as a kind of attempt to master my own apprehensions about death and absence. I've come to feel that a cast object quite automatically functions as a symbol for an absent original model, for instance, in a way that is especially visceral.' -- Allan McCollum
Further
The Allan McCollum Website
Allan McCollum Resource & Info Page
Re: 'Systems: Allan McCollum', a PBS Documentary
Allan McCollum @ Fredrich Petzel Gallery
Allan McCollum @ Barnara Karkow Gallery
Allan McCollum's 'The Shapes Project'
ARTISTS and IMAGES: Reproduction as a Creative Principle
Allan McCollum on Allen Ruppersberg
Allan McCollum interviewed by Thomas Lawson
Media Extras
Bio
'Allan McCollum was born in Los Angeles in 1944. In his twenties, McCollum briefly considered a career in theater, then attended trade school to study restaurant management and industrial kitchen work. In the late 1960s, he began to educate himself as an artist. Applying strategies of mass production to hand-made objects, McCollum’s labor-intensive practice questions the intrinsic value of the unique work of art. McCollum’s installations—fields of vast numbers of small-scale works, systematically arranged—are the product of many tiny gestures, built up over time. Viewing his work often produces a sublime effect as one slowly realizes that the dizzying array of thousands of identical-looking shapes is, in fact, comprised of subtly different, distinct things.
'Engaging assistants, scientists, and local craftspeople in his process, McCollum embraces a collaborative and democratic form of creativity. His drawings and sculptures often serve a symbolic purpose—as surrogates, faithful copies, or stand-ins for people—and are presented theatrically, transforming the exhibition space into a laboratory where artifice and context are scrutinized. Economical in form, yet curious in function, his work and mechanical-looking processes are infused with humor and humility.
'Allan McCollum has had more than 100 solo exhibitions in Europe and the United States, where his work has appeared in major exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2009); Museum of Modern Art, New York (most recently in 2007); and the Guggenheim Museum, New York (2004), among others. He has also participated in many international exhibitions, most recently at the Bienal de São Paulo (2008). Recent solo exhibitions include Friedrich Petzel Gallery, New York (2009); Barbara Krakow Gallery, Boston (2008); and Musée d'art moderne et contemporain, Geneva (2006), among others. Allan McCollum lives and works in New York.' -- Art21/PBS
Show
The Dog From Pompei, 1991
Cast glass-fiber-reinforced Hydrocal, Approximately 21 x 21 x 21 inches.
Replicas made from a mold taken from the famous original "chained dog" plaster cast of a dog smothered in ash from the explosion of Mount Vesuvius, in ancient Pompeii, in 79 A.D. Produced in collaboration with the Museo Vesuviano and the Pompei Tourist Board, Pompei, Italy, and Studio Trisorio, Naples, Italy.
Over Ten Thousand Individual Works, 1987/88
Enamel on cast Hydrocal, 2 inches in diameter, lengths variable, each unique.
To produce the Individual Works, hundreds of small shapes were collected from friends' homes, supermarkets, hardware stores, and sidewalks: bottle caps, jar lids, drawer pulls, salt shakers, flashlights, measuring spoons, cosmetic containers, yogurt cups, earrings, push buttons, candy molds, garden hose connectors, paperweights, shade pulls, Chinese teacups, cat toys, pencil sharpeners, and so on. Rubber molds were created from these shapes to produce a vocabulary of forms that could be combined in hundreds of thousands of different ways. An arithmetic system was used to insure that no two Individual Works would be alike.
The Visible Markers, 1997-2000
A continuing series of multiples in different sizes and shapes designed for use in expressing gratitude. Shown: Visible Markers in Twelve Exciting Colors, 2000. To date, there have been around two thousand Visible Markerscast, in six colors.
Actual Photos, 1985 (w/ Laurie Simmons)
Cibachrome prints, 10 x 8 inches each.
A collection of around fifty images of tiny human figures used for model train layouts, photographed unaltered through a microscope. Approximate actual size of each head: 1-2 millimeters.
Perfect Vehicles, 1985/87
Acrylic on cast Hydrocal, 19 " x 9" x 8 1/2" each.
The Perfect Vehicles are cast in solid gypsum from rubber molds, and painted all over with many coats and many colors of paint. They are grouped into small collections, and each collection is unique. Larger Perfect Vehicles are cast from glass fiber reinforced concrete, and are also painted all over with many coats of paint. Each of the larger Perfect Vehicles is unique in color.
The SHAPES Project, 2005/06
7,056 SHAPES Monoprints, each unique. Framed digital prints, 4.25 x 5.5 inches each.
'Working over the past few years, I've designed a new system to produce unique two-dimensional "shapes." This system allows me to make enough unique shapes for every person on the planet to have one of their own. It also allows me to keep track of the shapes, so as to insure that no two will ever be alike.
'Following the present rate of birth, it is generally estimated that the world population will "peak" sometime during the middle of the present century, and then possibly begin to decline. How many people will be alive at this peak are estimated at between 8 billion and 20 billion people, depending upon what factors are considered and who is doing the considering. The most recent estimate published by the United Nations puts the figure at around 9.1 billion in the year 2050.
'To make certain that my system will be able to accommodate everyone, I have organized it to produce over 31,000,000,000 different shapes, which is more than the highest population estimates might require.' -- AM
Topographical Models of the States of Kansas and Missouri, 2003
Cast Hydrostone, painted with white primer.
120 of these models were made during the summer of 2003 to be donated to regional historical society museums throughout the state of Kansas and Missouri. The museums were invited to paint the models according to their own needs. The models were delivered to the museums by the artist personally, using a rented van.
Lost Objects, 1991
Enamel on glass-fiber-reinforced concrete.
The Lost Objects are cast in glass fiber reinforced concrete from rubber molds taken of a selection of fossil dinosaur bones in the collection of the Vertebrate Paleontology Section of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and coated with many coats of enamel paint. There have been fifteen molds made, and the casts have been painted in around fifty different colors, making over 750 unique Lost Objects to date. The Lost Objects are grouped into large, unique collections of different sizes and colors.
Shapes from Maine: Copper Cookie Cutters, 2005/08
Created and organized by Holly and Larry Little, founders and owners of Aunt Holly's Copper Cookie Cutters, their home-based business in Trescott, Maine.
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Actual Photos, 1985 (w/ Laurie Simmons)
Cibachrome prints, 10 x 8 inches each.
A collection of around fifty images of tiny human figures used for model train layouts, photographed unaltered through a microscope. Approximate actual size of each head: 1-2 millimeters.
Perfect Vehicles, 1985/87
Acrylic on cast Hydrocal, 19 " x 9" x 8 1/2" each.
The Perfect Vehicles are cast in solid gypsum from rubber molds, and painted all over with many coats and many colors of paint. They are grouped into small collections, and each collection is unique. Larger Perfect Vehicles are cast from glass fiber reinforced concrete, and are also painted all over with many coats of paint. Each of the larger Perfect Vehicles is unique in color.
The SHAPES Project, 2005/06
7,056 SHAPES Monoprints, each unique. Framed digital prints, 4.25 x 5.5 inches each.
'Working over the past few years, I've designed a new system to produce unique two-dimensional "shapes." This system allows me to make enough unique shapes for every person on the planet to have one of their own. It also allows me to keep track of the shapes, so as to insure that no two will ever be alike.
'Following the present rate of birth, it is generally estimated that the world population will "peak" sometime during the middle of the present century, and then possibly begin to decline. How many people will be alive at this peak are estimated at between 8 billion and 20 billion people, depending upon what factors are considered and who is doing the considering. The most recent estimate published by the United Nations puts the figure at around 9.1 billion in the year 2050.
'To make certain that my system will be able to accommodate everyone, I have organized it to produce over 31,000,000,000 different shapes, which is more than the highest population estimates might require.' -- AM
Topographical Models of the States of Kansas and Missouri, 2003
Cast Hydrostone, painted with white primer.
120 of these models were made during the summer of 2003 to be donated to regional historical society museums throughout the state of Kansas and Missouri. The museums were invited to paint the models according to their own needs. The models were delivered to the museums by the artist personally, using a rented van.
Lost Objects, 1991
Enamel on glass-fiber-reinforced concrete.
The Lost Objects are cast in glass fiber reinforced concrete from rubber molds taken of a selection of fossil dinosaur bones in the collection of the Vertebrate Paleontology Section of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and coated with many coats of enamel paint. There have been fifteen molds made, and the casts have been painted in around fifty different colors, making over 750 unique Lost Objects to date. The Lost Objects are grouped into large, unique collections of different sizes and colors.
Shapes from Maine: Copper Cookie Cutters, 2005/08
Created and organized by Holly and Larry Little, founders and owners of Aunt Holly's Copper Cookie Cutters, their home-based business in Trescott, Maine.
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*
p.s. Hey. (1) I've always liked Allan McCollum. I like his thing and his ideas. Also, if the future-positing sci-fi movies I used to watch as a kid had included an artist among their characters, I sort of think that artist's work might have resembled McCollum's, and I like that too. (2) We haven't had a writers workshop post/ weekend here for a while, and it feels like high time. So, if anyone out there has any new or in-progress writing that they'd like to get some quality feedback on, please let me know and/or just send it in. (3) Shower the blog with birthday gifts please. (4) Gaspar Noe's 'Enter the Void' opens here on Wednesday, and I'm counting the micro-seconds. ** Misanthrope, So, are you starting the job hunt today? Man, good luck to say the least with that. I like Jack Styles. What's not to like? ** David Ehrenstein, Thanks for the link, David. Yes, I have seen that movie although ages and ages ago. It doesn't look bad. ** Sypha, Well, I figured Little foal was too new around here to have heard it before, and it seemed maybe relevant, but I see your point, so I'll put the cobwebs back on that anecdote. ** Oscar B, Hey. I hope I get to see you today. Not sure if you tried to call again yesterday or not, but I was at the movies in the late afternoon if you did. Oh, I just saw your late breaking post. Awesome! Everyone, the supreme writer and d.l. Jesse Hudson has interviewed the supreme artist and d.l. Oscar B for Fanzine, and the result is freshly and now online for your reading pleasure right here, and I can't imagine you need any urging from me to head straight there. ** Wolf, Turns out there was some rallying going on, but nothing out of the ordinary unless I came across the wrong demo. Seemed like Parisians were more into watching TV or something, although it did rain almost all day. ** Christopher/ Mark, Hi, Mark. Wonderful, wonderful stuff about Ossie Clark. ** JW Veldhoen, You know, I've lived in France for almost five years now, and I've never once heard someone use the word derriere, and it's not like asses don't enter my conversations. Lingo marches on. ** David, Still patiently keeping an eye out for Flit's smiling avatar. More sex scene? Well, you're absolutely right. I'll indulge shortly. Everyone, d.l. David + more sex scene = click this. ** Ken Baumann, Hey, Ken. Oh, I'm feeling a little self-conscious about my axe story 'cos I guess I've told it here one too many times, but I'll regale you with the near-fatal, gory details the minute I see you next. You worked with Michael Imperioli? Very cool. In what context? Man, the renaissance/ revolution is so real it's shivering literature's very timbers. 2010 is the year they'll call square one even though we both know square one is long underway. ** Kier, Dude, the blog has never looked or felt better than it just did, so my humblest thanks. An official Flesh World 5 announcement! Everyone, listen up, here's the splendiferous Kier: 'Flesh World 5 is on sale! and it features work by nick b/ stoopid puppies, thomas moore/ moronic, paul curran, mieze, jonny liron, flit, marc hulson/ tender prey, oscar b de allessi, etc.' That's a must if there ever was one, folks. ** Trees, Underwater welder and movie maker and a punk? That's promising. And you even had to change your pants. Congrats. ** Alan, Mm, well, I had my ear close to the ground about new happenings in music, and word of what she was doing was definitely out there, and I think I'd bought her little poetry book 'Seventh Heaven' very early on in '72 'cos I was really into the writers/books (Berrigan, Padgett, Saroyan, Brigid Polk, etc.) coming out from the press (Telegraph Books) it was published by. ** Bernard Welt, I remember Tim saying Patti Smith was the future of poetry too. Funny. ** Math, Oh, shit, your lost wallet story gave me the heebie-jeebies. I've lost mine a bunch. Losing it way over here really sucks 'cos ... well, obviously. The bank didn't just give you a temporary ATM card? That's odd, isn't it? I sure hope that's getting straightened out, pal. ** Paul Curran, I'm glad your head is where it belongs. Mine's there too albeit with lots of interruptions. Happy to hear any offshoot thoughts/news on your novel whenever the mood strikes. ** Pindus, Hi, welcome, and thanks for saying whatever you said. ** Pisycaca, Hey. Yeah, if you need my advice re: the hotel thing or whatever, don't hesitate. I do know about the baseball guy documentary Pollard is involved in. You probably he was a star pitcher on his college baseball team. Could have gone pro, apparently. I recommend the new Todd Solondz movie if you like his stuff and if it opens there. Great news about the book translation! Definitely could be worse than 19th vampire stories, even so-so ones. Love to you and to Xet too. ** Steevee, Amazing and weird how humongously played that SUV/bomb story was. Not that it's not an odd, sort of eerie thing and everything, but Jesus. ** Steven Trull, Thanks, Trull. ** Steven Vineis, I've only had the chance to read 'Repetition' so far, but it's gorgeous. Fantastic sentences, alluring build, and a knock out ending. Kudos. That story about your friend and the band is intense. I mean, I really like your idea about isolating the bass tracks and rebuilding the songs around the experience behind them. Really, really interesting idea. Plus, you know how interested I am in memorializing complicated people who couldn't manage to fully represent themselves. ** Bollo, The H-Pop category does seem rangy and fluid. I mean lumping together, say, Pocahaunted and Ariel Pink is curious, but then I kind of like the messiness too. I've been known to have long discussions about, say, the dividing line between Shoegazer and Dream Pop as far as which bands fit where. The free Wire CDs are surprisingly quite good, yeah. Thanks for the headrush link. I'll scramble over there in a bit. ** L@rstonovich, Hey, L@rs! ** _Black_Acrylic, Elongated pins and needles, eh? Don't worry. They'd be fools, etc. Enjoy the new you, man. ** 志文, You again. ** Justin, I know, truly, about that slave ass portal. Even Yury saw the skull, and he's skepticism city. There used to be this really great dance called the skank where you danced -- well, more like strolled around stylishly -- with dangling caveman arms. ** Inthemostpeculiarway, I don't think that was a fuck off from Bendy. No, I don't think so at all. Yeah, I hear 'Nightmare ... ' is bad from almost all quarters, but I would love to hear you prove it. I love that shampoo meets shower story. It was rich. I kind of like 'Desperate Housewives'. Call me crazy. That 'whoa' state sounds nice, at least from over here. I was feeling envy. I was. My weekend: A lot of working on my novel. Occasionally exciting, mostly frustrating. It rained a lot. I went out looking for May Day activities, and I didn't find much. A big march, but there are marches just as big here every week. I was going to go see the Coco Chanel/Stravinsky movie with Jonathan Schatz (who's in it) and Gisele, but I decided I needed to work instead. I finished writing a blurb for an upcoming Publishing Genius press book by the terrific writer/poet Mike Young. I got some free books in the mail from Word Riot Press, and that was nice of them. Oh, Yury and I saw the new Todd Solondz movie 'Life During Wartime'. The theater was packed. The French are into Solondz. I liked it a lot. It's very Todd Solondz. Lowkey, deliberately outrageous, sometimes very funny, full of quirky pervs, lots of gay sex anxiety, a little uneven. Yeah, it's a sequel to 'Happiness' and is structured the same and has a handful of the same characters but sometimes played by new actors. I recommend it. I got asked for my autograph on the metro. That was nice but embarrassing. I also got screamed at incoherently and pursued for an uncomfortably long time by some psycho junkie guy who I declined to give money to. I think that's pretty much the round-up. An okay at best weekend, let's say. Monday? ** Right. I already said my peace about the post today, so after one more plea for birthday gifts -- that was it -- I'm off to do whatever. Until tomorrow then.
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