Gallery Hopping: Using and Re-Using with Cordy Ryman at Konrad Fischer

Carol Civre, Artnet News, June 30, 2016

Konrad Fischer Galerie presents the first show in Berlin to feature works by New York artist Cordy Ryman, ranging from small wall hangings to large-scale installations.

 

Son of artist Robert Ryman, Cordy Ryman was introduced to the art world at an early age. He always had an interest in found materials and through experimentation he came to favor wood-not just for sculpting, but also painting.

Ryman's installations and paintings meld into one another, as wall hangings become sculptural and sculptures assume a pictorial appearance. Ryman works under the rules of "use & re-use"-often rearranging old installations into new pieces in spontaneous reconstructions. His application of bright acrylic paint, lacquer, and spray paint adds a fresh twist to the recycled materials and further heightens Ryman's experimentation with color, form, surface feel, and material.

 

At the top floor of Berlin's Konrad Fischer Galerie, a variety of Ryman's small format pieces hang on the walls at different heights, yet in a harmonious arrangement. A sculpture titled Third Vine, breaks the regularity of the hanging offering viewers a connection between the wall and the floor. Made of wooden slats connected by hinges, the sculpture is simple yet imposes a possessive presence as it spans the length of the room.