April 24

THE HIGH: PRIVATE RECEPTION IN HONOR OF MICHAEL LIN AND “UTAH SKY 2065-40”

Posted by Layla on April 24, 2015 in ART

The Friends of Contemporary Art were invited to a special private reception in honor of Michael Lin to celebrate his new piece “Utah Sky 2065-40” The floor of the High Museum of Art’s Robinson Atrium is covered by a monumental, site-specific painting by acclaimed Shanghai-based artist Michael Lin. Lin is widely known for his hand-painted architectural interventions. He approaches painting as a bounded, physical space – one we can inhabit – rather than as an object of contemplation. Lin orchestrates monumental painting installations that re-conceptualize public spaces using patterns and designs appropriated from traditional textiles. He believes in the artist as a generator of ideas and, like conceptual artist Sol LeWitt, collaborates with artists and art students to address the power of collective action, the value of labor, and the importance of craft. The High’s installation is created by seven Atlanta-based artists working with Lin and his studio. Lin designed Utah Sky 2065-40 (blue curve) for the High’s Stent Family Wing in response to architect Richard Meier’s soaring spaces and stunning skylight. The artist also took inspiration from Ellsworth Kelly’s shaped canvases, which are displayed on the Wieland Pavilion Skyway Level. Lin’s aesthetic is often influenced by the decorative arts of Asia. The floral design of the painting echoes a Taiwanese textile print, and the title, Utah Sky, refers to one of the Benjamin Moore paint colors used in the painting.

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