One of the most distinct signatures Richard Artschwager left on the art world was the “blp”—black, stain-like forms, as he called them. These small oval shapes, quietly placed on gallery walls or in unexpected public spots, carry no meaning in themselves; they simply exist. Yet, they make you realize that you are looking at that specific moment. And once you notice them, you begin to see them everywhere.
This tiny gesture is, in fact, a perfect summary of Artschwager’s entire artistic practice. Art history sometimes read him as “Pop Art” due to his fondness for everyday objects and industrial materials. He was at times declared a “Minimalist” because of the precise and uncompromising presence of his geometric forms. Meanwhile, the intellectual coolness inherent in his work occasionally landed him in the “Conceptual Art” drawer. However, none of these labels fit him perfectly. As Artschwager himself poignantly stated: “-isms are a sign that something is already dead.”
Approximate Objects brings together sixteen different editioned works produced by the artist between 1969 and 2012 at the Gagosian space in Burlington Arcade. The lower floor of the gallery has been transformed into a reading room designed with the artist’s publications and prints. This setup directly highlights a fundamental dimension of Artschwager’s practice: the concern that art should be accessible.
Throughout his long career, the artist produced numerous editioned works that complemented his unique (one-of-a-kind) paintings and sculptures. One such work, often produced in his own studio and distributed through various publishers, is Four Approximate Objects (1970–91), where four metal objects are presented in a box. Artschwager added this conceptual note to the piece: “The attempt here is to make things that are seen with the hand, not the eye.” At this point, art ceases to be a purely visual experience and transforms into a completely tactile act.
The exhibition features brilliant examples of how objects play with our perception: a ticking clock mechanism covered in Formica… a bowling ball engraved with “Yes/No”… and that strange mirror that reflects another surface instead of you. This is exactly how Artschwager’s objects function; even at their most familiar, they are never quite where you expect them to be.
- Venue: Gagosian · Burlington Arcade, London
- Exhibition: Approximate Objects
- Closing Date: May 16, 2026
