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SCULPTURES
Coolquitt, Andy
U.S. (1964 - )
nycha (samuel gompers)
2010
Metal, wire, and light bulb
41 1/2 x 41 1/2 x 41 1/2 in. (105.4 x 105.4 x 105.4 cm) ovedall
Gift from the William and Ruth True Foundation
FA 2014.299

In nycha (samuel gompers) Andy Coolquitt has created a sculpture that is also a functional object: a lamp. While it serves a utilitarian function, the sculpture also acts as a cryptic tribute or memorial, a function traditionally associated with this medium. NYCHA is a direct reference to the New York City Housing Authority, a government agency that provides public housing for low- and moderate-income residents throughout the five boroughs of New York City. Many of NYCHA’s facilities are known popularly as ‘projects’ or ‘developments’ and have been traditionally the home of the city’s working class. The name Samuel Gompers, also in the title, refers to the first and longest-serving president of the American Federation of Labor (AFL). Gompers was an influential figure from the late 1880s until the 1920s and the American labor movement largely owes its structure and organizing characteristics to him. In a society where individualism and the power of its employer class had become central, Gompers created a workers' movement based on principles of dignity, equity, and solidarity. These seemingly unrelated sources of inspiration are united by the artist to create an object that gives the illusion of domesticity. The references imbue the abstract assemblage of metal parts with opaque narratives but also suggest subjects of social equality and fair housing arrangements that are dear to the artist.

Since the beginning of his career in the late eighties, Andy Coolquitt has been fascinated by humble found objects that he uses or reconfigures to open dialogues about pressing social issues. His sculptures, often made from such materials as metal tubing, bottles, and pieces of wood, appear to be celebrations of human resourcefulness, ingenuity, and creativity. The artist has identified two types of works within his oeuvre: “somebodymades” and “inbetweens.” The first are collections of objects presented as finished objects or installations just as the artist found them near his studio or home, while “inbetweens” are the found parts that he uses to create new works, like the one included in this exhibition.

Andy Coolquitt was born in 1964 in Mesquite, Texas. He currently lives and works between New York City and Austin, Texas. He received his BFA in art history from the University of Texas and pursued graduate programs at both the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Texas, Austin. In the fall of 2012, he presented a major solo exhibition titled attainable excellence at AMOA-Arthouse in Austin, Texas. The exhibition was organized by the Blaffer Gallery, Houston, and opened there in May 2013. He is currently an artist-in-residence at 21er Haus, Vienna, Austria, and opened an exhibition there this summer. -- Guidebook copy for The Ghost of Architecture, July 13 to September 29, 2013.

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