ROBERT IRWIN | ZEPHYR
ONE’S inaugural artwork, ZEPHYR, is by one of the most important artists of our time, San Diego-based Robert Irwin. ZEPHYR is from Irwin’s “DRAWINGS” series, a body of work that the artist has been working on the last 5 years.
The word "drawing" implies a sense of improvisational playfulness and is an appropriate title for this series which are basically made of non-electrified fluorescent light bulbs, wrapped in layers of theatrical gels and placed on top of areas directly painted on a wall. By using sculptural elements, paint, color and line, this work challenges the traditional media and idea of drawing-making.
ZEPHYR is a forever changing myriad of shadow, color, light and form depending on the angle from which one approaches it.
Robert Irwin’s art demands one’s attention. As the writer Lawrence Weschler wrote about this drawing series, “As ever, Mr. Irwin jump-starts us into ‘perceiving ourselves perceiving’ the greatest wonder of all.” Irwin is no stranger to the art of perception, his life has been devoted to its study. His work has always explored the small changes in our environment that can have lasting impacts on our perception.
ONE is committed to exhibiting one artwork at a time whether it is a painting, sculpture, video or installation. The artwork will be up for approximately three weeks. The space has been imagined to be a bit of an oasis, a place to just check out a piece of art; no obligation, no expectation, no discrimination, no big receptions or fancy dinners, a place for examination, inspiration and celebration. We invite you to take some time out of your day to spend time with this one artwork.
ONE opens during one of the strangest times the world has seen in many years. A worldwide pandemic, racial protests, radically divided politics and an ever changing climate have all contributed to an anxiety level that has reached nerve-wracking heights. Opening an art gallery that shows only one artwork at a time during this upheaval might seem strange, or even blind, but we believe that now is the moment to focus, calm down, take a breath, reflect and to move forward.
Come visit. Wear a mask.
