The first time I saw a Gradient print by Cory Arcangel was in 2009, during the Frieze Art Fair, on Max Wigram Gallery’s stand. And like many people, I found it extremely beautiful. An even larger example made a similar impact during the Younger than Jesus show in NY New Museum.
As I was already interested in Arcangel’s work (the videogame hacking pieces for instance), I wanted to know more and browsed the Internet blogs for comments or explanations, to find that these Gradient prints did not let people untouched, some claiming that it was pure genius, other stating it was crap. So what is it exactly ?
Gradient prints are easy: yes, everybody could do it in a few minutes. These images are made with Photoshop, using a straightforward treatment. This is exactly the point: technology is making it easier and easier, there is no pain associated with the creative process. To make it even clearer, the title gives the exact Photoshop filter used to create the image. In a way, Arcangel refuses to be an author, in the (almost romantic) sense of the term.
Gradient prints are beautiful: that seems to be a problem to some critics. Beauty is now suspicious, which here again is at the root of the idea. Cory Arcangel works are usually accessible, enjoyable. Technology can be a happy place. On the other hand, there is a satirical note: a simple Photoshop filter can make almost as good a job as many contemporary artists.
Gradient prints are big: this is perhaps the trickiest point. They’re big, so they can sell for big numbers, one could say. It is true that Arcangel’s Gradient prints are perfect trophy objects for the art market, all unique, big and scarce: which leads to the question, is this cynical ? In interviews, Arcangel states that he decided to begin the work when he saw the staggering quality of large digital prints, something which was unachievable a few years ago. The idea was to be use the full power of technology.
Those in Paris can probably make themselves a better opinion. Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery in Paris currently hosts a solo show by NY based artist Cory Arcangel (the show coincides with another solo exhibition in Berlin’s Hamburger Bahnhof), with four Gradient prints. And yes, they’re beautiful.
Illustration: Cory Arcangel, Photoshop CS: 84 by 66 inches, 300 DPI, RGB, square pixels, default gradient Blue, Red, Yellow, mousedown y=22100 x=14050, mouseup y=19700 x=1800, 2010
Unique C-print — Courtesy Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris/Salzburg
