I came across the artist B. Wurtz on one of my routine run-throughs of Chelsea galleries a few years back. He was showing at Feature and the sculpture made quite an impression on me. One particularly memorable work was composed of a piece of wood, placed horizontally on the floor, that had a metal rod rising from it. A plastic bag was gently hanging from the rod. The bag was turned upside down and subtly moved as I walked by.

When a work of art forces me to pause — like this work did — I tend to make a note of it. So, I jotted down Wurtz’s name on a scrap of paper that I had been carrying around that day, and then moved on to the next big gallery to see the next big thing.

Years later, I realized that this work had made a lasting impression on me. In that sculpture, Wurtz had taken something so common and everyday and seemingly mundane, and presented it to me in a way that actually made me think about it. It was just a plastic bag! Making this realization was great, except for one problem: I couldn’t remember the artist’s name let alone find that damn scrap of paper with my notes.

Fast forward to my graduate studies at Vermont College. One of the joys of its low residency visual arts program was that I could work with any artist of my choosing as a studio mentor. During my last semester in the program, a faculty member offered me a suggestion of who to work with. I looked up the artist and was floored – it was none other than B. Wurtz, the artist I couldn’t “locate” whose work I had admired years earlier.

B. and I ended up working together my last semester, and I couldn’t have had a better experience. Besides being a great guy, he was always readily accessible, thoughtful, and thorough in his critique of my work. He was also open to sharing his own personal experiences – through which I gained so much insight into the important acts of embracing and reflecting on moments as part of the art making practice. As a direct result of his guidance, I knew the work I produced was the best it could possibly be.

Which brings us to 2011 and the fact that B. is finally having a (long overdue) major show. The exhibit, appropriately titled “Works 1970-2011” is a collaboration between B., Matthew Higgs of White Columns, Metro Pictures, and Feature. I will be at the opening reception on Wednesday, June 22 from 6 to 8 pm. Otherwise, the show runs through August 5. Learn more about the exhibit at Metro Pictures and more about B. at Feature, his gallery of representation. 

Shown above: Untitled, 2002 Lock, wood 8.5 x 22 x 5.75 inches