Object to be Destroyed: The Work of Gordon Matta-Clark

Although highly regarded during his short life — and honored by artists and architects today — the American artist Gordon Matta‑Clark (1943-78) has been largely ignored within the history of art. Matta‑Clark is best remembered for site‑specific projects known as “building cuts”. Sculptural transformations of architecture produced through direct cuts into buildings scheduled for demolition, these works now exist only as sculptural fragments, photographs, and film and video documentations. Matta‑Clark is also remembered as a catalytic force in the creation of SoHo in the early 1970s. Through loft activities, site projects at the exhibition space 112 Greene Street, and his work at the restaurant Food, he participated in the production of a new social and artistic space.