AT A DISTANCE TO THE FOREGROUND (1999)

Presented by the Contemporary Art Society, with generous funding from Art Fund, Candida & Zak Gertler, Marian Goodman Gallery, Alex Hank, Neil Wenman & Jane Carr, and the Henry Moore Foundation, 2020/21

Scheme:

Fine Art Acquisition Scheme (2008-)

Ownership history:

Purchased from the artist by the Contemporary Art Society, with funding from Art Fund, Candida & Zak Gertler, Marian Goodman Gallery, Alex Hank, Neil Wenman & Jane Carr and the Henry Moore Foundation, 2020; presented to South London Gallery (SLG), 2020/21

Relationship:

Candida and Zak Gertler Marian Goodman Gallery, New York Alex Hank Neil Wenman & Jane Carr Henry Moore Foundation, Leeds and Much Hadham South London Gallery

Lawrence Weiner’s work takes the form of typographic texts. Although Weiner is one of the central figures in the formation of conceptual art in the 1960s, he does not consider himself to be a conceptual artist but a sculptor whose medium is language and the materials referred to. Weiner’s practice focuses on the interaction between artwork and viewer. He challenges the notion that an artwork has to consist of a physical object, suggesting that it could be a concept or an idea which the viewer would be invited to engage with. Weiner’s statements have taken the form of texts in gallery or public spaces, spoken dialogue in audio and moving image, books and posters, lyrics and tattoos. Throughout his career of more than 50 years, Weiner has had major exhibitions and works acquired in important museums and galleries all over the world.

AT A DISTANCE TO THE FOREGROUND is a large scale vinyl that is indicative of Weiner’s previous works. The work will be the artist’s first permanent work in London. The installation on the Fire Station follows that of another work by Weiner, ALL IN DUE COURSE, that was temporarily shown on the façade in 2014 as part of his solo show of the same name at the South London Gallery (SLG). SLG has an international reputation for its contemporary art exhibitions by established, mid-career and younger artists and its programme of film and performance events. In other words, the context in which they are seen by the public creates the impact on the process of interpretation. It thus invites the viewer to be a collaborator in the work process. Although the idea of acquiring the work for the SLG came about before lockdown and social distancing had even been considered in the UK, the work shows the power of contemporary art to convey the meaning and experiences of the present.

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