Last December, curator Oscar Humphries flew to Mexico City to visit the home and studio of late Pritzker Prize-winning architect Luis Barragán. While there, he noticed a weaving by Eduardo Terrazas – a friend of Barragán’s and an artist represented by Timothy Taylor, the seasoned British gallerist who will open his first stateside space in New York this month. Humphries, who began his career with Taylor in London, had a eureka moment. ‘As I thought more about Tim’s program of modern and contemporary work, I felt like his first New York exhibition should be an imaginative, historic one that also includes primary work,’ Humphries says. He soon set about organising a presentation that examines Barragán as well as artists with whom he shares a visual synergy.
The result, titled ‘Architecture of Color: The Legacy of Luis Barragán’, relates the human scale of the architect’s largely residential work to the intimacy of the Chelsea gallery, which is referenced in its name, Timothy Taylor 16x34 (its size in feet). Archival material from the Barragán Foundation in Switzerland, together with photographs by Armando Salas, who captured nearly all of Barragán’s work, illustrate the Guadalajara native’s extraordinary use of colour, shapes and light.
Untitled, by Agnes Martin, 2002 (left); Wall Pale Yellow, by Sean Scully, 2016. Courtesy of Cheim & Read (right)
‘Barragán’s buildings have a specific atmosphere. They elicit feelings we experience more commonly from proximity to great art, which, of course, the best architecture is,’ Humphries writes in the exhibition catalogue. To that end, alongside Barragán’s buildings Humphries places pieces by other artists – many of whom were greatly impacted by trips to Mexico – creating conversations in colour. Highlights include work by Josef Albers, Carl Andre, Dan Flavin, Sheila Hicks, Agnes Martin and Sean Scully.
Barragán also designed furniture, which was never put into production but serves as a compelling parallel to his approach to architecture. Made of wood, leather, and vellum, his project-specific pieces translate rural Mexican furniture into a modernist vocabulary. On view here are two chairs and a bench from Cuadra San Cristóbal (1966–68), Barragán’s famed equestrian project in Los Clubes, Mexico City.
For Taylor, the poetic spirit and scope of Barragán’s work is a fitting narrative for 16x34’s debut. ‘Its combination of emotion and rigor is completely in tune with the London gallery’s programme and the ambitions I have for this space,’ he says. ‘This inaugural exhibition perfectly defines this landmark moment for us.’
The Oscar Humphries-curated show also includes work by artists with whom Barragán shares a visual synergy. Pictured left to right: Cuadra San Cristóbal (1966-68), Fuente de los Amantes (1966); Clubes, Mexico City (1966), all by Armando Salas. Courtesy Barragán Foundation, Switzerland
Barragán also designed furniture, which was never put into production but serves as a compelling parallel to his approach to architecture. Pictured left (center): Pair of Chairs from Cuadra San Cristóbal Estate, by Luis Barragán, 1968. Courtesy Barragán Foundation, Switzerland. Pictured right: three furniture pieces by Donald Judd
For Timothy Taylor, the poetic spirit and scope of Barragán’s work is a fitting narrative for 16x34’s debut. Pictured left: works by Barragán. Right: examples of Eduardo Terrazas’ Cosmos series, 2016
INFORMATION
‘Architecture of Color: The Legacy of Luis Barragán’ is on view until 19 November. For more information, visit the Timothy Taylor Gallery website
Photography: Michael Vahrenwald
ADDRESS
Timothy Taylor 16x34
515 West 19th Street
New York, NY 10011
-
Hanker after a 1970s supercar? The Encor Series 1 elevates the Lotus Esprit to a new levelThis limited-edition remastering of the dramatic wedge-shaped Lotus Esprit stops at nothing to improve and enhance the original without losing sight of its analogue excellence
-
A new photo book takes you behind the scenes of some of cinema's most beloved films, from 'Fargo' to 'Charlie's Angels'Set decorator Lauri Gaffin captures Hollywood's quieter moments in an arresting new book
-
This sculptural London seafood restaurant was shaped by ‘the emotions of the sea’In Hanover Square, Mazarine pairs a bold, pearlescent interior with modern coastal cuisine led by ‘bistronomy’ pioneer chef Thierry Laborde
-
Nadia Lee Cohen distils a distant American memory into an unflinching new photo book‘Holy Ohio’ documents the British photographer and filmmaker’s personal journey as she reconnects with distant family and her earliest American memories
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt’s been a week of escapism: daydreams of Ghana sparked by lively local projects, glimpses of Tokyo on nostalgic film rolls, and a charming foray into the heart of Christmas as the festive season kicks off in earnest
-
Ed Ruscha’s foray into chocolate is sweet, smart and very AmericanArt and chocolate combine deliciously in ‘Made in California’, a project from the artist with andSons Chocolatiers
-
Inside the work of photographer Seydou Keïta, who captured portraits across West Africa‘Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens’, an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, New York, celebrates the 20th-century photographer
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekFrom sumo wrestling to Singaporean fare, medieval manuscripts to magnetic exhibitions, the Wallpaper* team have traversed the length and breadth of culture in the capital this week
-
María Berrío creates fantastical worlds from Japanese-paper collages in New YorkNew York-based Colombian artist María Berrío explores a love of folklore and myth in delicate and colourful works on paper
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekAs we approach Frieze, our editors have been trawling the capital's galleries. Elsewhere: a 'Wineglass' marathon, a must-see film, and a visit to a science museum
-
June Leaf’s New York survey captures a life in motionJune Leaf made art in many forms for over seven decades, with an unstoppable energy and fierce appetite leading her to rationalise life in her own terms.
