Untitled 1997

Here we have an undated, untitled piece by John Armleder, using who-knows-what, but it looks like vaccu-formed plastic. It’s a simple thing, but it’s got me thinking about how artists take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. The color, that clear, almost ethereal blue, gives the piece a sense of lightness, but the geometric form of the plastic gives it weight. The way the light passes through the material, creating shadows and reflections, is kind of magical. It's about seeing what's already there, and allowing new ideas to emerge through subtle interventions. In a way, it reminds me of some of the work of Dan Flavin, who made art from everyday fluorescent lights. Like Flavin, Armleder has an eye for what's overlooked. For Armleder, as with so many great artists, artmaking is a process of discovery.