Richard Serra: Composites

October 17, 2019February 1, 2020

Gemini G.E.L. at Joni Moisant Weyl is pleased to present a new series of limited edition prints by Richard Serra combining etching and screenprinting. Composites are created by embracing the physical relationship between what happens when a deeply etched copper plate is printed onto handmade Japanese paper followed by the opaque viscosity of Paintstik being pushed through a coarse silkscreen. A marked departure from the appearance of previous Serra editions, Composites are dynamic in their mottled surfaces and exploration of texture and saturation. With a rhythmic play of densities and depths, the surfaces are activated through the masterful application of varying printing techniques and materials. Although faithful to the artist’s use of all-black pigment, these new works offer subtle, unexpected tonal variations upon closer inspection. These distinctions are achieved through the use of differently colored etching inks, including black and graphite, resulting in an array of patterns.

The surfaces are extremely physical, and the ideas behind such a body of work can be found in a philosophy that is fundamental to Serra’s studio practice: a preoccupation with “the invention of form.” The resulting series is comprised of twenty-two remarkably nuanced editions, each offering their own distinct balance between color, texture, and depth of form.

Richard Serra, Composite XXII, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4058
Richard Serra, Composite XXI, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4057
Richard Serra, Composite XX, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4056
Richard Serra, Composite XVIII, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4054
Richard Serra, Composite XVII, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4053
Richard Serra, Composite XVI, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4052
Richard Serra, Composite XV, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4051
Richard Serra, Composite XIX, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4055
Richard Serra, Composite XIV, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4050
Richard Serra, Composite XIII, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4049
Richard Serra, Composite XII, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4048
Richard Serra, Composite XI, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4047
Richard Serra, Composite X, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4046
Richard Serra, Composite VIII, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4044
Richard Serra, Composite VII, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4043
Richard Serra, Composite VI, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4042
Richard Serra, Composite V, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4041
Richard Serra, Composite IX, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4045
Richard Serra, Composite IV, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4040
Richard Serra, Composite III, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4039
Richard Serra, Composite II, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4038
Richard Serra, Composite I, 2019
Richard Serra
RS17-4037