Wall I
Part of Points & Lines
Corban Walker
Wall I, 2006-2007
Aluminum, zinc-plated steel
17’ 6” x 19’ 6” x 36”
Courtesy of the artist and PaceWildenstein
…Taking a like consideration of the relation of the body to an object in space, Corban Walker’s (b. 1967; lives and works in New York, NY) Wall 1, presents a low to the ground, serpentine wall made of stacked aluminum bricks arranged in an alternating and porous grid pattern. Although Wall 1 is only 36-inches tall, and could be easily straddled by the average adult, this height was set in relation to that of the artist’s own 4-foot standing. Conversely, an inversion of scale occurs when viewing the work up-close, as a visitor must squat down, and in so doing, lowers him or herself below the height of the piece. However, as the work presents an equal number of voids as it does solids through its checkerboard-like bricklaying, the work never totally encloses, as light, air, and small particles are able to easily penetrate. In addition, the work is sited next to one of the seating areas in LentSpace, so that the seat not only allows a visitor to relax while viewing the work, but changes the viewers relation toward the height of Wall 1 through the act of sitting and standing up. These subtle moments wherein a slight change in perspective adds to a new and fuller recognition of context might possibly lead to a greater appreciation of other relations that are taken for granted…
