Radical Structures
6 December, 2017 – 11 February, 2018

Exhibition

Mark Dagley: Radical Structures
Opening Reception: Wednesday, Dec. 13, 6-8pm
December 6, 2017 - January 21, 2018
*Extended through February 11, 2018

Spencer Brownstone Gallery is pleased to present Radical Structures, Mark Dagley’s first solo exhibition in five years and debut with the gallery. The show features a wide range of painting techniques spanning forty years of the artist’s career, from 1977 to present.

The spectrum of materials in Radical Structures ‒ polymer-resin, vinyl acrylic, wire mesh, and brushed copper, to name a few ‒ traces his thorough examination of structure and texture. Preparatory drawings for his paintings resemble blueprints and reveal his highly methodical approach. Despite its studied and calculated qualities that point inward, Dagley’s work has always featured balance with its environment and frank acknowledgement of its corporeality. The surfaces of his work exhibit entropy as well as varying degrees of finish. His paintings do not simply exist on a wall but purposefully hang, lean, sit, and rest.

Mark Dagley’s exploration of form was ahead of its time, preceding similar more widely recognized work. Radical Structures aims to survey his expansive ouevre and present never before shown pieces including the Construct series. These large-scale works of paint and common construction material plot new points on his matrix of materialized geometry.

Artist Bio

Mark Dagley (b. 1957, Washington D.C.) is a painter, draftsman, graphic artist, creator of 3D objects, guitarist, and audio engineer. He studied painting and sculpture at the Corcoran School of Art; painting, video, and electronic music at the Boston Museum School. Since 1997 he has owned and run Abaton Book Company, a publishing house and record label, with his wife Lauri Bortz.

Dagley is best known for his geometric paintings, which have been displayed at galleries, foundations, and museums throughout the United States and Europe, as well as in South America and Australia. His first solo exhibition took place in 1986 at Tony Shafrazi Gallery. In 1993, Dagley had his first museum exhibition at Kunstverein St. Gallen, Switzerland. The same year, he also received his first major commission, from Hoffman-LaRoche Pharmaceuticals, which featured two wall reliefs, nine-foot square, that were installed in their new headquarters outside of Basel, Switzerland.

His works are in the public collections of University of Michigan Museum of Art, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Buenos Aires, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, Musée des beaux-arts de La Chaux-de-Fonds, Muzeum umění Olomouc, Bloomingdale’s Corporation, EMI Madrid, Henkel GmbH, Hotel Chelsea Cologne. Private collections include Ara Arslanian, Marina Bignami, Bruno Bischofberger, George Condo, Evan Dando, Collection Doberman, Loudon Collection, Peter Ludwig, Gene Na, Philip Niarchos, Alberto Parrando, Schalapher & Hasler, among others.