Philip Martin Gallery is delighted to present a solo exhibition of works by Los Angeles-based artist Carl Cheng (b. 1942).
Carl Cheng takes a material and conceptual approach that pushes the boundaries of post-minimalism, systems and environmental art. Cheng is one of the first Asian-American artists to establish themselves in LA in the postwar years. Cheng's sense of technology and corporate critique contextualizes the post-war expanded art object in Southern California. At the same time, Cheng reveals US-Asia connections among the emerging post-war worldwide avant-garde – one of the most important topics in art history today.
Carl Cheng created his corporate AKA, "John Doe Co." in 1965. John Doe Co. allowed him to critique corporations by acting as a corporation and – as an Asian-American – a sense of anonymity in the context of American Vietnam War-era racism. Philip Martin Gallery's Feature Sector booth takes on the intellectual and visual rhetoric of Cheng's John Doe Co.
The booth will include a selection of Cheng's expanded photographic works, several of which appeared in the 1970 MoMA exhibition, "Photography into Sculpture." Also on view will be a selection of Cheng’s Nature Machines, designed to “model nature, its processes and effects for a future environment that may be entirely controlled or completely made by humans." Works from Cheng's Art Tools and Liquid/Solid series - made when he lived and worked in Japan, India, and China in the 70s and 80s - will also be featured.
In addition to this selection of art objects, our presentation will include John Doe Co. product cards and corporate literature designed to subvert the advertising climate of the post-war years.
Philip Martin Gallery booth is located in booth T11, Hall 2.1.
Art Basel is located:
Messe Basel
Messeplatz 10
4005 Basel
Switzerland
Public Days
Thursday, June 13, 2019, 11am to 7pm
Friday, June 14, 2019, 11am to 7pm
Saturday, June 15, 2019, 11am to 7pm
Sunday, June 16, 2019, 11am to 7pm
