November 2, 2011

De Wain Valentine, whose monumental work Gray Column is the focus of the exhibition, From Start to Finish: De Wain Valentine's "Gray Column" was one of the most influential sculptors active in Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s. Known for his striking, large-scale polyester resin sculptures of simple geometric forms that interact intensely with the surrounding light, Valentine faced challenges in finding a material that would allow him to realize his artistic vision. Commercially available polyester resins could not achieve what Valentine had envisioned—none could be applied in a single, large volume, pour. How did Valentine develop a polyester resin with the qualities that would enable the realization of his vision, to create, with a single pour of resin, luminous artworks of much larger proportions?

Watch the artist in conversation with Tom Learner, head of Modern and Contemporary Art Research at the Getty Conservation Institute, as they investigate the production, conservation, and display challenges that surround Valentine's work.

This event is part of the Getty Research Institute's ongoing Modern Art in Los Angeles project, in which leading artists, filmmakers, musicians, curators, and critics are invited to discuss their contributions to the Los Angeles vibrant postwar art scene.