Robert Lazzarini is best known for making common objects that have been subjected to compound distortions and which have the effect of confusing visual and haptic space, or rather complicating the space of pictures and the space of things. Lazzarini also alters the physical spaces in which these objects are seen – the ground to the object’s figure – which adds to the disorienting effect that the work exerts on its audience. Offering no ideal point of view and so compelling its viewers to walk around the work, Lazzarini’s sculptures trace their lineage back to the 1960s, minimalism and to the introduction of phenomenology into the discourse of art.
"We go through our days doing the same shit we do every day. But there are things that knock us out of our daily routine, like death - namely other people's death. Of course that makes us reflect upon our own mortality. This particular time exposes our shared vulnerabilities which feels like it's an opportunity for collective introspection.
I like to think this is my day to day trade - thinking about the things that define us and the general nature of things. As an artist, I'm in a constant state of contemplation and isolation. However, having a four year old forces me to rethink my position on things. There's no way to not see things through her eyes as well. Sickness, violence, racism are complicated yet important subjects to explain to a young child whose world is already abstract."
Robert Lazzarini New York, USA. June 9, 2020
Police Barricade (2019)
96,5 x 304,8 x 109,2 cm, wood, paint, metal
No Trespassing Sign (2012)
55,9 x 58 x 2,5 cm, metal, paint, vinyl
Shotgun (sawed-off) (2011)
12,7 x 55,8 x 12,7 cm, metal, plastic
Safe (blown) (2011)
129,5 x 69 x 73,7 cm, metal and paint
Brass Knuckles (iv) (2010)
12,7 x 17,8 x 10,2 cm, brass, bronze
Target G-63 (2010)
91,4 x 66 x 2,5 cm, archival print, pigment, tape