Ronald Bladen's aluminum sculptures, Wedge (1971) and Kama Sutra (1977), in situ at the Al Held Foundation
We are thrilled to announce the installation of two sculptures by Ronald Bladen (Vancouver, 1918–1988) on the scenic grounds of Held’s former home and studio. These works of geometric abstraction in painted aluminum —titled Wedge (1971) and Kama Sutra (1977)— were created at a moment when Bladen deepened his exploration of form in space. Presented in partnership with the Estate of Ronald Bladen, this installation honors the vital thirty-year friendship between these pioneers of postwar American geometric abstraction. A selection of Bladen paintings, drawings, and sculptures will simultaneously be presented in Held’s historic painting studio.
The presentation continues a tradition of Held encouraging Bladen to create or install major monumental works on this very site. In 1967, Bladen built the ambitious 22-foot-high wood sculpture The X in front of the bull barn before it was installed at the Corcoran Gallery. Then in 1980, Bladen temporarily sited the 56-foot-long Boomerang on the hilltop above Held’s studios with a sweeping view of the Catskills. It later went on to Washington, D.C., as part of the Eleventh International Sculpture Conference. Bladen and Held’s shared interest in the mythic and epic quality of geometric abstraction, realized in monumental scale, nourished their ongoing aesthetic conversation.
On Sunday, September 8 at 2:30 pm there will be public discussion with Jim Clark, director of the Estate of Ronald Bladen; Daniel Belasco, executive director of the Al Held Foundation; and Loretta Howard, gallery director and historian. The discussion will occur at the Al Held Foundation in Boiceville, NY.
The Bladen exhibition appears in conjunction with the fourth edition of On the Grounds, an annual exhibition of outdoor sculpture organized by River Valley Arts Collective. Curated by Alyson Baker, it features new ceramic sculpture by Natalia Arbelaez, Nicole Cherubini, Re Jin Lee, and Katy Schimert. Additionally, a new site-specific fiber installation by Michelle Segre titled Der Wolley Eulb 07 will be on view in Al Held’s former drawing studio. Public tours of Ronald Bladen, On the Grounds, and Michelle Segre: Der Wolley Eulb 07 will occur at 10 am and noon on August 19, September 8, September 23, and October 13, 2024. The Bladen discussion on September 8 will occur following the noon tour that day, and visitors are invited to participate in both opportunities.
To attend the Ronald Bladen discussion on Sunday, September 8th, please rsvp to info@alheldfoundation.org.
To attend any of the other public exhibition tour dates, please sign up here.