Untitled 1968

This Untitled work was made by Bill Bollinger, though we don't have any dates for it. It deploys simple horizontal bands of color; a cream at the top, and a blue below, shading into one another. Bollinger was part of a generation of artists who, in the 1960s and 70s, began to challenge the established hierarchies of the art world. In what ways could the art object be democratized? How could it relate to everyday life? Bollinger sought to redefine the very idea of sculpture by using commonplace materials such as rope, wood, and piping. The effect was to blur the boundaries between art and the industrial landscape. In the 1970s there was a questioning of art institutions, as they came to be seen as instruments of power. Artists began to look outside the gallery to find inspiration. To fully understand an artist like Bollinger, it is necessary to consider the social context in which he worked, and the resources he drew upon.