Cirrus Gallery and Cirrus Editions is pleased to present LIVING PROOF / LIVING ARCHIVES: Action / Artifact from Cirrus Gallery and Cirrus Editions, a group exhibition curated by Alberto Cuadros as part of his project, Society of Art and Living Archives. The exhibition brings together prints and cultural artifacts from Cirrus’s fifty-six-year history, alongside the curator’s collection of art historical ephemera and a selection of works by contemporary artists.
The prints of Cirrus Editions are treated not only as valuable works of art but as historical documents in their own right. Different artistic modes—unique works, prints, portfolios, rare monographs, magazines, posters, mailers, and exhibition catalogs—are all brought into the same presentational space. As a whole, the exhibition creates a dynamic picture of the 1970s California conceptual art scene.
One of Cirrus’s defining strengths as a publisher, workshop, and gallery is its history of collaboration across various Los Angeles artistic movements: from Venice artists like Guy de Cointet, John Baldessari, and Ed Moses; to Downtown artists like Laddie John Dill; Pasadena artists like Bruce Nauman, Barbara T. Smith, and Karen Carson; and Hollywood artists like Ed Ruscha and Joe Goode.
These artists are paired with a wide selection of 1970s ephemera. Cuadros showcases a collection of High Performance and Vision magazines. High Performance’s founding editor, Linda Burnham, who chronicled performance art in LA from 1978 to 1985, is also represented in the exhibition through a print produced with Cirrus. Vision magazine was a rare contemporary art journal published by Crown Point Press and edited by conceptual artist Tom Marioni. Marioni is also represented in the show through unique works on paper and a selection of books.
Illuminating Cirrus’s dual history as both a gallery and a publisher, Cuadros invites contemporary artists to respond to historical works. In the gallery, contemporary sculptor Amelia Lockwood responds to a 1974 print by Raul Guerrero. In the printshop, conceptual artist Frances Stark engages with a Chris Burden print from the same year. Meanwhile, in the office, art critic ‘Divacorp’ offers a painting in conversation with a large Baldessari print from 2015. Ed Ruscha’s print IF, 2000 is paired with the 1972 documenta 5 catalog with book design by the artist.
Featuring: Barbara T. Smith, Ed Ruscha, Rachel Rosenthal, Dennis Oppenheim, Bruce Nauman, Jay McCafferty, Tom Marioni, Laddie John Dill, Tony DeLap, Guy De Cointet, Judy Chicago, Karen Carson, Linda Burnham, Chris Burden, Bob & Bob, John Baldessari, & Terry Allen — With interpretative sites by Amelia Lockwood, Raul Guerrero, Ariana Mamnoon, Billy Al Bengston, Divacorp, John Baldessari, Frances Stark, & Mark Bradford