Carl Andre: Cascade
Aerated concrete blocks, wood, 550 unit stepped stack
68 7/8" x 193" x 94 1/2"
Possibly considered one of the founders of minimalist art, Carl Andre creates formally simple sculptures that occupy floor space. He chooses to work in traditional media of wood and metal, and would later branch out to use plastics and concrete. His works range from large outdoor sculptures to smaller, intimate indoor installations, which took the form of grids and tile patterns that were displayed as flat works on the ground. After serving in the U.S. army in the 1950s, he moved to NYC and shared a studio space with Frank Stella, another notable minimalist artist.
Cascade has been displayed in both an outdoor and indoor setting, which lends itself to provide a different context for the viewer who is experiencing the work. This piece was set into a small hill and had allowed the work to gather an entirely new meaning than if it had been exhibited in an indoor gallery. This lush landscape setting that contrasts with the stark, man-made concrete blocks provides a beautiful formal experience for any viewer who comes upon it.
Work by Andre is included in a multitude of public and private collections at prestigious institutions world-wide. He has been exhibiting in world-wide solo and and group shows since the 1960s, in institutions including the MoMA, the Tate Gallery London, Portland Art Museum, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Paula Cooper Gallery, Galeria Canyon, Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, and many more. His work has been featured in a number of publications in pretigious journals, magazines and newspapers world-wide.