The union of two artists, examining their shared obsession with the issues of architecture, language, institutions, scale, and value. “[The exhibition is] powerful and out of control and overbuilt—a monument to the entropy of the post-industrial city and the uncertain dance of its inhabitants.” — The New York Times

Gordon Matta-Clark and Pope.L are institutionally recognized for their interconnected practices that explore the values and contradictions of urban life as well as the risks involved in creating art. Using performance, film, painting, and various multimedia works, the two artists often open intermediate spaces through monumental gestures that take into account changing, decentralized zones. Focused on the concept of failure, the sixth exhibition at 52 Walker and the accompanying catalog reevaluate social, artistic, and structural failure—and in its expression a thought for hope.

With an introduction by the curator and director of 52 Walker, Ebony L. Haynes, this publication also includes a discussion between Haynes, the artist Pope.L, and LAXART director Hamza Walker, examining the visual, material, and conceptual similarities between the works of Pope.L and Gordon Matta-Clark and what it means to consider the possibilities of failure as an artistic medium.

The “Clarion” series of illustrated publications is positioned as an extension of each exhibition at the pioneering gallery space 52 Walker, curated by Ebony L. Haynes. The program focuses on showcasing foundational and research-based artists from diverse backgrounds and various stages of their careers. The title of the series comes from the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop, the oldest of its kind, at the University of California, San Diego.

Octavia Butler attended this workshop in the 1970s. Her writing has profoundly influenced the conceptual framework of the program and the Clarion series. With an elegant design influenced by encyclopedias, each publication features color reproductions of the exhibited works, as well as an introduction by Haynes, commissioned essays, artists’ texts, archival material, and more.

Pages: 96, Year of Publication: 1020, Dimensions: 16.5x16.5cm