Pigeon Holes 1997

Roxy Paine's 'Pigeon Holes' is a relief-like construction that uses a range of plaster-like white marks, each framed in its own compartment. The consistency and the variety of the marks indicate a real process. It is almost as if you're viewing a painter’s palette or a sculptor’s studies all laid out on a grid. The materiality here is fascinating. The way the plaster is troweled, pushed, and pulled, the way the surface catches the light - it all gives a sense of texture and depth. The white-on-white palette creates a sense of calm, yet the varied textures and shapes add complexity. Looking closer, there's one compartment with a swirl; the gesture embodies the entire piece because the work is a sum of parts, all working together. Paine's systematic approach reminds me of Bernd and Hilla Becher's photographs of industrial structures. Both artists find a stark kind of beauty in repetition and categorization, turning a series of similar objects into a larger, more abstract composition. Art's so cool, huh?