Untitled, 1972
Wood, fibergalss and polyester resin
98 1/2 x 18 x 1 5/8 inches
(250.19 x 45.72 x 4.13 cm)
Untitled, 1970
Wood, fiberglass and polyester resin
88 3/16 x 22 x 3 1/8 inches
(224 x 55.88 x 7.94 cm)
Installation view of John McCracken: Sculpture, Paintings and Works on Paper
Untitled (Blue Box), 1966
Lacquer on fibergalss and plywood
11 x 12 1/4 x 7 1/4 inches
(27.9 x 31.1 x 18.4 cm)
Signed bottom: etched "John McCracken 1966"
Mandala I, March 1972
Felt pen on paper
10 x 10 inches
(25.4 x 25.4 cm)
Signed lower right recto "McCracken 3-72"
Mandala II, March 1972
Felt pen on paper
10 x 10 inches
(25.4 x 25.4 cm)
Signed lower right recto "McCracken - 3-72"
Mandala VII, March 1972
Felt pen on paper
10 x 10 inches
(25.4 x 25.4 cm)
Signed lower right recto "McCracken - 3-72"
Mandala VIII, March 1972
Felt pen on paper
10 x 10 inches
(25.4 x 25.4 cm)
Signed lower right recto "McCracken 3-72"
Untitled (Floor Piece Study), 1972
Pen and pencil on paper
8 1/2 x 11 inches
(21.6 x 27.9 cm)
Signed lower right recto "JM"
Untitled (Wall Piece Study), 1972
Ink and colored pencil on paper
8 1/2 x 11 inches
(21.6 x 27.9 cm)
Initialed lower right recto "JM"
Tantric, 1971
Acrylic on canvas
16 x 16 inches
(40.6 x 40.6 cm)
Signed and dated verso "John McCracken 12-71"
Installation image of 9 mandalas
Mandala XI, April 1972
Colored marker on paper
8 1/2 x 11 inches
(21.6 x 27.9 cm)
Signed and dated lower right recto "Mandala XI - McCracken 4-72"
Mandala XIII, APril 1972
Colored marker on paper
8 1/2 x 11 inches
(21.6 x 27.9 cm)
Signed and dated lower right recto "Mandala XIII - McCracken 4-72"
Untitled, September 1971
Colored marker on paper
17 x 14 inches
43.2 x 35.6 cm
Signed and dated lower right recto "JM 9-71"
Untitled, January 1971
Colored marker on paper
8 x 10 1/2 inches
(20.3 x 26.7 cm)
Signed lower right recto "JM 1-71"
Untitled, February 1971
Colored marker on paper
8 x 10 1/2 inches
(20.3 x 26.7 cm)
Signed and dated lower right recto "JM 2-17"
Untitled, February 1971
Colored marker on paper
8 x 10 1/2 inches
(20.3 x 26.7 cm)
Signed and dated lower right recto "JM 2-71"
"When I was making art, it seemed to me that in making a thing beautiful...I found I had an interest in reductiveness and minimalness." - John McCracken
The Elkon Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of works by John McCracken (1934 - 2011) entitled John McCracken: Sculpture, Paintings and Works on Paper.
McCracken's career spanned many decades. Starting in the mid 1960's after he completed his education, he began creating minimal sculptural forms focusing on bold colors. His first exhibition took place in 1965 at the Nicholas Wilder Gallery in Los Angeles. In 1966 the artist had his first New York exhibition at the Robert Elkon Gallery.
McCracken was exhibited in many major museum exhibitions throughout the United States and Europe, including a 2011 retrospective at the Castello di Rivoli in Turin, Italy, which spanned the entirety of McCracken's career.
The present exhibition will include blocks and planks. Planks mystified McCracken. He said: "I see the plank as existing between two worlds, which appealed to me--the floor representing the physical world of standing objects...and the wall representing the world of imagination, illusionistic painting space, human mental space, and all that."
Oil and gouache paintings, which were inspired by Buddhist and Indian mandalas, dating from the 1970’s, as well as working drawings of sculptures, will be on view as well.
The exhibition opens on Thursday, October 20, 2016 and will remain on view until December 16, 2016.
For additional information please contact the gallery at 212.535.3940 or by email at elkongallery@earthlink.net
