Exclusive Episode #110: Horace & Noella Varnum in Sedgwick, Maine, describe their experiences working with artist Allan McCollum on the Shapes from Maine (2009) exhibition at Friedrich Petzel Gallery in New York. Applying strategies of mass production to hand-made objects, Allan McCollum's labor-intensive practice questions the intrinsic value of the unique work of art. McCollum's installations—fields of vast numbers of small-scale works, systematically arranged—are the product of many tiny gestures, built up over time. Viewing his work often produces a sublime effect as one slowly realizes that the dizzying array of thousands of identical-looking shapes is, in fact, comprised of subtly different, distinct things. Engaging assistants, scientists, and local craftspeople in his process, McCollum embraces a collaborative and democratic form of creativity. Learn more about Allan McCollum: http://www.art21.org/artists/allan-mccollum VIDEO | Producer:
Wesley Miller & Nick Ravich.
Interview:
Susan Dowling.
Camera:
Richard Kane & Joel Shapiro. Sound: Kenny Weinberg. Editor: Lizzie Donahue & Paulo Padilha. Artwork Courtesy:
Allan McCollum. Special Thanks: Horace & Noella Varnum.