Art in the Age of Influence: Peter Pincus | Sol LeWitt is on view at Ferrin Contemporary

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Art in the Age of Influence: Peter Pincus | Sol LeWitt is on view at Ferrin Contemporary until October 11

July 11 – October 11, 2020

Art in the Age of Influence is a series of solo exhibitions presented by Ferrin Contemporary during the 2020-21 season, considers the impact of artist’s source materials on their artistic process and practice.

Art in the Age of Influence: Peter Pincus | Sol LeWitt, will feature new works by Peter Pincus inspired by three of Sol LeWitt’s wall drawings, #340, #422 and #289, as seen first-hand in Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective at MASS MoCA.

Using color theory and formulaic design patterns as points of departure, Pincus creates brightly colored vessels and expansive tile murals. Inspired by Sol LeWitt’s distinctive style, this body of work takes on his influence in their vibrant patterns and forms. LeWitt’s Wall Drawing #422 specifically relates to Pincus’ exhibition centerpiece, a series of 15 large-scale columns that carry colors across the surface of each form which create a large-scale painting when aligned together.

Gallery director, Leslie Ferrin notes “Pincus’ work in this exhibition began during his first visit to our gallery located on the MASS MoCA campus for the opening of a group show, Glazed and Diffused. After a full day exploring Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective, we had an animated discussion of how the LeWitt works related to his creative practice. Like LeWitt, Pincus often begins a new series using a premise to explore various possibilities of form and color within a shared framework.”

Pincus’s last solo exhibition in 2018, Channeling Josiah Wedgwood , was also a result of direct research into the extensive collection at the Birmingham Museum of Art that informed a series of complex forms based on urns and chalices. Now, five years later, Pincus’s work for this 2020 exhibition began with a series of premises based on the color theories and conceptual instructions of Sol LeWitt and inspired by wall drawings he first saw in person in 2014. This body of work includes containers, vessels and wall tiles, each a result of extensive research and technical experimentation.

“There is a big difference between being influenced by and being in conversation with. As an artist and educator, I am eager to acknowledge those who have elevated my thinking through their work and to consciously engage with influence as a productive and insightful element of studio practice. This exhibition is an opportunity to celebrate LeWitt’s approach to making as a foundation, from which I can challenge myself to see new things and grow.” — Peter Pincus

Peter Pincus is well known for work that combines exquisite form and intense color through porcelain vessels and tile compositions. Driven by inquiry, his practice blends color theory, the history of decorative arts and cutting-edge technical experimentation in ceramics. As an artist and designer, Pincus continues to garner national attention for his research-based practice that includes the Wedgwood collection at the Birmingham Museum of Art (AL) and, most recently, an examination of several conceptual works by Sol LeWitt at MASS MoCA (North Adams, MA).

Represented by Ferrin Contemporary since 2015, Pincus has participated in multiple exhibitions, including Glazed & Diffused (2015), Revive, Remix, Respond (2018), and two solo exhibitions, PETER PINCUS: Channeling Josiah Wedgwood (2018) and ART IN THE AGE OF INFLUENCE: Peter Pincus | Sol LeWitt (2020). Pincus has exhibited widely at galleries, art fairs and museums throughout the US. His work can be found in numerous private and public collections including the Daum Museum of Contemporary Art (Sedalia, MO), Everson Museum of Art (Syracuse, NY), The Museum of Fine Arts (Houston, TX), ASU Art Museum Ceramics Research Center (Tempe, AZ), Schien-Joseph International Museum (Alfred, NY) and The Arkansas Arts Center (Little Rock, AR). Pincus is the recipient of the Lewis Comfort Tiffany Award in 2017.

Pincus received both his BFA (2005) and MFA (2011) from Alfred University, Alfred, NY. He has been a resident artist at the Mendocino Art Center in Mendocino, CA and Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT, taught at Haystack School Mountain School of Craft and worked at the Genesee Center for Arts and Education in Rochester, NY as the Studio Manager and Resident Artist Coordinator. In Fall 2014, Peter joined the faculty as Assistant Professor of Art at the School for American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Due to COVID19, the gallery is open to the public by appointment through ticketing or inquiring via email or calling ahead. Please make arrangements 24 hours in advance to visit the show in person. Virtual programming will take place with a gallery talk and studio visit with the artist, dates to be determined.

Contact
info@ferrincontemporary.com
413-346-4004

Ferrin Contemporary
1315 MASS MoCA Way
North Adams, MA
United States

Images courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary. Photos by John Polak