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VIRGINIA DWAN INTERVIEW 7-7-7 through a period which is, in quotes, "difficult", the term we always use for work we don't like as much. However, that work is very important [[strikethrough]]to the , it's[[/strikethrough]] and very pregnant to the next period,and as we see when we see retrospective exhibitions , sometimes turns out to be the most interesting work ultimately. E.V.: Yes, that happens quite often. I was wondering about catalogues. Are your artists interested in catalogues or publications other than th[[strikethrough]]w[[/strikethrough]]e fact that they are written up quite often in magazines, and several of them write quite well themselves. V.D: Yes, well Robert Smithson of course, has written a great deal. And Sol LeWitt has written to some extent. I think it's a botherment, to use a narrow phrase,to most of the artists to have to write, because as DeKooning said,"if I could say it, I wouldn't paint it." It's often even worse for them to find that their work and their ideas are so often so totally misconstrued , and in some cases , even the actuality of the piece , the way that it's put together and so forth, is described inaccurately. They feel themselves forced to make their own statements . The most interesting writing that I think the artists are doing today is not directly about their work, but pertains to it in a round-about way. Smithson does this, Robert [[strikethrough]]Morse[[/strikethrough]] Morris who is not in my gallery does this, Yvonne [[strikethrough]]Reneer[[/strikethrough]] Rainer does this , Peter Hutchinson who is also not in my gallery does this. They write along a certain tenor which is another medium for reaching the so-called public to give them a feeling of what they are experiencing themselves and what they are wanting to project in their visual work. E.V: Is Sol LeWitt working now? Is he doing any painting? I heard he's doing something else, and I don't know what it is. V.D.: He's doing drawings, or drawing directly on the walls. And he's had an exhibition at the Ace Gallery in Los Angeles, recently doing that. E.V: He did that on the walls? V.D.: Yes. He will be showing similar works at our gallery next season. In the meantime, he's also made a book of variations on these drawings. E.V.: Then what happens to the walls when the show is over? V.D.: They're erased. And if the works are purchased, which we have (more)
