From Equinox to Solstice

Berry Campbell is pleased to present its first exhibition of Ibram Lassaw (1913-2003), one of the foremost American abstract sculptors of the twentieth century. Lassaw merged technique and form in his process-based “action sculpture”—considered both a counterpart to and an inventive variation on Abstract Expressionist “action painting.” An early advocate of “truth to materials,” he is best known for his direct-metal, open-space welded sculptures in which he united both geometric and biomorphic forms. Lassaw’s enduring passion was to explore relationships between space and matter, reflecting his abiding belief in universal order and cosmic harmony. Ibram Lassaw: From Equinox to Solstice is the first solo show of the artist in New York in over forty years. This long-overdue survey includes a wide range of sculpture and works on paper spanning fifty years of Lassaw’s career from the monumental sculpture Equinox (1963), the centerpiece of the show, to more delicate, smaller scale works like Erato (1991) and Fields (1993). Lassaw’s study of philosophy, cosmology, and Zen Buddhism directly inspired Berry Campbell’s exhibition design with clusters of works hanging from the ceiling to finely curated groupings of works placed at various heights around the gallery. The exhibition opens with Milky Way (1950/2023), an iconic sculpture originally produced in 1950, exemplifying Lassaw’s renowned sculptural style, which he called “three-dimensional drawing in space.” Lassaw was a charter member of the American Abstract Artists (AAA) in 1946, and in 1949, around his kitchen table, he helped form the 8th Street Club, the informal but pivotal group that is closely tied to the birth of Abstract Expressionism. Ibram Lassaw was represented by Samuel Kootz Gallery from 1951 to 1968 and was included in the Venice Biennale in 1954, along with Willem de Kooning and David Smith. In 1956 he was featured in Twelve Americans at the Museum of Modern Art, including the work of Sam Francis, Philip Guston, Grace Hartigan, Franz Kline, and Larry Rivers. Ibram Lassaw is included in numerous museum collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. As special programming to the exhibition, Berry Campbell and the Estate of Ibram Lassaw, in conjunction with Norte Maar present: Lassaw: The Projection Paintings Performance. Produced by Jason Andrew, this is collaborative event features the rare 1940s glass slide projection paintings of Ibram Lassaw danced by Douglas Dunn & Dancers and Gleich Dances.

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