New Exhibition Fuses the Work of Brian Eno and Dan Flavin
On view at London’s Paul Stolper Gallery.
Brian Eno‘s atmospheric music has enchanted sound systems across the world since the mid-1970s. From his early ambient bits, such as “1/1” and “An Arc Of Doves” to a collaborative record with Jon Hopkins and Leo Abrahams, along with a recent link up with Fred again..At the heart of Eno’s approach to music, however, has always been an equal fascination with how these sounds will live visually in space.
A new exhibition at London’s Paul Stolper Gallery aims to (literally) illuminate this interest through a set of enigmatic sculptures presented alongside works by legendary Light and Space artist, Dan Flavin. Set in a dimly lit room, Brian Eno / Dan Flavin will feature a range of fixtures, such as Eno’s light box series, Soft Sharp / Sharp Soft, as well as Ovation and Still, along with three ethereal works by Flavin, including Untitled (to Barbara Nüsse), 1971, Untitled (for Ad Reinhardt) 2e, 1990, and Untitled (for Eric Zetterquist) 1, 1990.
When reflecting on the development of the ambient genre, Eno remembers that his efforts were “really an attempt to make music that was more like painting. So, it was a kind of music that pretty much stayed in one place and didn’t tell you a story: it was a kind of atmosphere or condition that you could enter and leave when you wanted.”
Another standout piece on view is Eno’s recent Filopendula, 2021 sculpture, which features several speakers shaped like flowers in a ceramic vase. “I had Filopendula sitting in the corner at my studio,” Eno added, “and I would sit here and work on my own at night, it seemed to open up the room to the outside world, it gives that feeling that you’re no longer in a box separated from everything else.”
For those looking to attend, the exhibition is currently on view in London until August 25.
Elsewhere, Brazil’s Instituto Inhotim has opened a new permanent gallery devoted to Yayoi Kusama.
Paul Stolper Gallery
J E Ferris Ltd
31 Museum St
London WC1A 1LH
