- Estate of Gordon Matta-Clark, Artists Rights Society
- From “Splitting” by Gordon Matta-Clark
The paradox of the gallery for me has always been that it’s a fixed physical space filled with shifting emotional content. The way I understand and respond to the space is directly related not only to the art it holds, but also to the people within it. That said, I’ve always preferred the closing of a show to an opening. Openings are festive, sometimes a little raucous, always filled with an air of anticipation. They’re usually hot and invariably loud, not entirely unlike a New Year’s Eve party, the historical bane of my calendar year. I’m never entirely comfortable at parties, so it would follow that I would never be entirely comfortable at openings. But I’ve always loved closings, and the idea of celebrating the brief life of a show. At a closing you’re in a space that’s had time to adjust to the presence of the work. The space has been filled with people, it has sat empty, it has played host to the lone viewer who stops by on a Tuesday afternoon. Time has changed the relationship between the space and the work, and the mood that fills the room. It’s quieter, more contemplative.