74V17 Possibly 1973 - 1993

John Divola made this photograph, 74V17, using black and white film, and what looks like some white spray paint, sometime in the 70s. The marks are very direct, the wall acts almost like a canvas. It’s like he's playing with the architecture as a readymade structure to build his composition. I love how the concentric bands of white spray paint create a kind of portal in the corner of the room. Look closely at the drips. They become icicles of paint, solidifying time into these little details. The texture is so immediate. You can almost smell the spray paint hanging in the air. This gesture reminds me a bit of Gordon Matta-Clark's building cuts, this idea of intervening directly into architecture. There's something about Divola's work that feels connected to a punk, do-it-yourself ethos, of art as direct action. Like art doesn't need permission. It just happens.