The Gagosian mounted a small show of five David Smith pieces: two sculptures and three paintings. (At least I guess you’d call them paintings. They are listed as "spray enamel on canvas," so maybe they’re "spray paintings.") The show is so tiny, it doesn’t even have a title. All the canvases are from 1963, and one of the sculptures is from 1962. My favorite sculpture, which is untitled (and from 1955) looks like a pterodactyl turned into a logo, with a circle cut in the middle. It’s reddish steel, and rather flat — maybe half an inch thick. This sculpture is funny, but also classical and generous. (I’m not sure what I mean by "generous," but I feel compelled to use that word. Maybe I mean this: David Smith was confident enough in his audience to display his private, childish wishes. You know the expression: "If I had more time, I would send a shorter letter"? It’s been attributed to Hemingway, Cicero, Voltaire, Mark Twain, and Blaise Pascal. Well, David Smith sent the shortest letter possible — one with no words, and a big hole in the middle.)
The Gagosian, 980 Madison Avenue, Fall 2001
http://www.gagosian.com/exhibitions/2011-09-20_bob-dylan/
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