Director, Glenn Lowry: Until now, Genzken's only other substantial exhibition in the United States was in 1992, in Chicago. Michael Darling.
Curator, Michael Darling: During Isa Genzken's preparation for that exhibition, she traveled to Chicago and was incredibly influenced by the architecture which of course is one of its calling cards.
Glenn Lowry: She was especially struck by the John Hancock Center, with its X-shaped braces from top to bottom.
Michael Darling: And this X-form shows up in very different artworks by Isa Genzken over the years. We first start to see it immediately in 1992 in artworks that she created in and after Chicago, including the sculpture that's just titled X, which, as you can see, is a cube that is formed by these dramatic X shapes in resin and steel.
Glenn Lowry: The X-form is also featured in related paintings that are collectively titled MLR, or "more light research."
Michael Darling: The title comes from the German poet Goethe, who, on his death bed apparently uttered, "More light." There's a mystery and a lyricism to these paintings that I think must connect back in some way to those words of Goethe, this kind of tenuousness between something becoming and something maybe disappearing.