Honor Fraser is pleased to present a solo exhibition of a new work by Los Angeles based artist Gustavo Godoy entitled: Fast-formal Object: Big White.
Godoy’s dynamic, unconventional and participatory sculptures encompass what he calls “an interactive exercise in construction.” Plywood, Plexiglas, vinyl, 2×4 wood scraps and florescent lights create visually arresting large scale sculptural installations. Employing these modest industrial materials, he not only emphasizes a possible utilitarian nature of each work, but also elevates these objects as highly formal compositions. Similar to the De Stijl movement of the early 20th century, Godoy is equally as concerned with aesthetics as he is with functionality. At first glance these sculptures may seem haphazard and arbitrary, however, one soon realizes that they are deliberate, site-responsive forms that rely heavily on an intuitive and organic system of art making.
Fast-formal Object: Big White serves as the culmination in the artist’s series of Fast-formal works. The sculpture reaches nearly 12 feet high and 28 feet long, filling the gallery space. Godoy continues his use of common building materials, but rather than leaving these elements in their natural state, he paints each piece white, unifying the convergent parts. Light elements throughout the work activate and complicate one’s perception of form and space. Folding the white box aesthetic even further into the piece, the artist also covers the gallery floor with white vinyl, creating a sanctuary-like environment. This ode to minimalism – a sort of Donald Judd a la Robert Ryman – reactivates Godoy’s formally constructed installation. Big White’s literal approach is unapologetically formal, yet playful in its proposition of interaction, questioning the boundaries of a traditional gallery experience.
Gustavo Godoy lives and works in Los Angeles. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree at UC Santa Barbara, a Master of Fine Arts degree at Vermont College in Montpelier, VT and has studied at the UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design. Fast-formal Object: Big White marks Godoy’s first solo show at Honor Fraser following his last Los Angeles solo exhibition What’s the Big Idea at The Happy Lion in 2007. Godoy has exhibited work both nationally and internationally at venues such as, Le Parc Saint Leger – Centre d’art contemporain in Pougues-les-Eaux, France, Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills, CA, Workspace in Brooklyn, NY and Mexico Arte Contemporaneo in Mexico City.