Richard Van Buren
Off the Wall

“For my first one-man show at 112, placed 55 sculptures around the space on the floor in 10 different groupings. The groups were determined by time: I showed 10 weeks of casting. I wanted the sculptures to break down the formal distance that exists between the viewers and the “Art”. I wanted the viewer to pick the pieces up in their hands so they could feel the weight and experience the piece with a wider range of physical involvement. I was also interested in how the viewer would change the location of the sculptures if there was no one to say, “Don’t touch.” Opening night, I placed cardboard on the floor in one area and asked Batya Zamir to dance using the sculpture.” [Richard Van Buren]

Excerpted from Brentano, R., & Savitt, M. (1981). 112 Workshop, 112 Greene Street: History, artists & artworks. New York: New York University Press.