Opening night of Untitled (Basin and Range) at MOCA Tucson

After seven weeks of installation, Untitled (Basin and Range) at MOCA Tucson was complete. I was so thrilled to have so many familiar faces to help me celebrate at the opening including my brother, Hans, my dear friend, Dr. Holtkamp, my dealer, Cristin Tierney and her associate, Maria Kucinski, plus photographer, Marc Lins, my right-hand-man, Florian Altenburg, and, of course, my wife, Florencia Minniti. It was a fantastic evening. Thanks to Anne-Marie Russell, Henry Kerr, and all the MOCA staff and especially the members for making it a special night. Cheers to you!

Photograph by Taylor Miller.

Photograph by Taylor Miller.

Photograph by Taylor Miller.

Finishing up Range #5

After finishing up Ranges #1 through #4 which reside inside the Great Hall, we moved to the Great Plaza to install Range #5. Florian, Henry and I worked into the night, affixing the aluminum mesh to the wooden grid and then pouring the clear paint. As you can see, the installation extends to the city sidewalk. Just a couple finishing touches and the installation will be complete.

Anne-Marie Russell

I would like to thank Anne-Marie Russell, Executive Director and Chief Curator of MOCA Tucson, for the opportunity to envision and create Untitled (Basin and Range). She is truly amazing and has put together a fantastic team to help realize my most ambitious project to-date. I am so lucky to have had her support and guidance throughout this project. It has been such a pleasure working with her, with all of her knowledge and experience and I am so thrilled to be presenting my piece.

Anne-Marie Russell, Florian Altenburg, Catherine Eyde, Jocko Weyland, Mike Hein, Johans Steinrich, Florencia Minniti, Alois Kronschlaeger, and Henry Kerr.

Getting ready to pour the paint

Now that all five ranges of Untitled (Basin and Range) have been completed at MOCA Tucson, we are now ready to pour the transparent paint over the mesh. We have new tools for pouring and recycling the paint and we have the cherry picker – masterfully maneuvered by Henry. So far, we’ve poured paint on Ranges #2 and #3 and are working on Range #1. From prep time to final execution, it takes about 5-6 hours to pour paint on each range.

Continuing to drape the mesh

Florian and I continue to drape the mesh over Untitled (Basin and Range) at MOCA Tucson. You can see us climbing to the top of the ranges to crawling on the floor, stitching together the mesh where necessary.

 

Many thanks to Henry Kerr

I must extend my deepest gratitude to the extremely hardworking and fellow artist, Henry Kerr. I could not have completed Untitled (Basin and Range) at MOCA Tucson without him. He has been with me from constructing the first pancake until we pour the last paint drop. He has put endless hours into this project and all without a day off. Cheers to you, Henry!

I would also like to mention that Henry created this site-specific painting at the Museum in the Artist in Residence living room in 2011. This piece, Live, measures 40 feet wide by 10 feet tall and has made my stay extra special, knowing that a dedicated and talented artist such as himself has given a personal touch to the unique and welcoming environment that is MOCA Tucson.

My wife, Florencia, does it all

I am so lucky to have a wife like Florencia Minniti. She has been with me in Tucson since early September, helping the crew with just about everything. Thanks for all your hard work and support!

Starting to drape the mesh

Now that the wooden grids have been carved, it’s time to drape the mesh for Untitled (Basin and Range). Florian and I climb to the top of the range and unfurl the one hundred foot roll of aluminum mesh.

Shaping the wooden grid

After finishing up the construction of all five of the ranges of Untitled (Basin and Range), it’s time to shape the wooden grids at MOCA Tucson. To create the shape, I lay ropes over the installation to inform me of the angle at which I should cut each piece of wood. This is an important step in my process because the next step involves draping the aluminum mesh over these angled points of the structure.

The arrival of Florian Altenburg

Since the completion of Range #5, my dear friend Florian Altenburg has arrived in Tucson. As you may know, he was an instrumental part of Allotropisms and Spire in 2011. Now he’s back to work with the MOCA Tucson crew to help us complete Untitled (Basin and Range) with the draping of the aluminum mesh and clear paint.