Guy Dill: Nomad

In the 1970s, Guy Dill was part of a young group of artists loosely referred to as the Venice Mafia, taking advantage of cheap real estate and beach lifestyles. Having graduated from Chouinard Art Institute, his first forms of recognition came from the legendary dealer Irving Blum who “discovered” him and invited him to participate in a group show, and his inclusion in Ten Young Artists: Theodoron Awards at the Guggenheim in 1971, along with other emerging LA talents, Mary Corse and Ron Cooper. Over the years, Dill has experimented with a diverse range of materials in his work, from glass, aluminum, steel, wood and concrete to those connective elements that held his materials in states of tension such as string, rope and cable. In fact, Dill has always addressed the ageless fundamental issues of sculpture such as torque, tension, balance, and weight, as well as the more contemporary concerns of process and conceptual inquiry. Peter Plagens understood this early on when he said, “Guy Dill is the most consistent sculptor around; inventive, craftsmanlike, elegant and reasonably witty…what the pieces have to say are answers to exercise questions. [such as] Can a 9’ sheet of glass stand on end? “ Dill exhibited at Ace Gallery in the 1980s when Craig Krull was director there. Forty years later, his first exhibition at Craig Krull Gallery, is entitled Nomad, and will include charcoal drawings and white, powder coated aluminum sculptures with arcs, twists and elongated curves that recall the movement and strength of Martha Graham. His work is included in major museums such as, MOMA, The Whitney, Guggenheim, MOCA, LACMA, The Stedelijk and The Smithsonian.