Color Test 210 (9 Permutations)

2015

Spencer Finch

(American, 1962-)

America

Suite of nine custom lightboxes

Each: 77.5 x 77.5 x 11.4 cm (30 1/2 x 30 1/2 x 4 1/2 in.)

Private Collection 11.2018

Location: not on view

This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Did You Know?

Finch is known to travel to sites of significance, such as Walden Pond, Monument Valley, the archaeological ruins of Troy, and Giverny, France, in order to glean atmospheric inspiration for his works.

Description

Each light box in Color Test 210 (9 Permutations) is based on a computerized drawing by Finch composed of 210 different colors that never repeat. These compositions are printed on Fujitrans, a translucent colored material that emits an arresting glow when illuminated from behind, giving form to the complexity of color. The work is inspired by the color chart paintings of modern artists Ellsworth Kelly and Gerhard Richter, and they recall the Romantic painting tradition in which artists such as J. M. W. Turner and Thomas Cole rendered the qualities of light on their canvases. Since these and related artists are represented in the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection, the ideas in Color Test can be found throughout the galleries. Working across a wide range of media, Finch explores the perception of light and color, often in relation to natural phenomena and historic sites. The artist’s work, which combines scientific precision with visual poetry, is motivated by his “impossible desire to see oneself seeing.”