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RON NAGLE Necessary Obstacles
Matthew Marks Gallery
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Ron Nagle is known for his intimately scaled sculptures made of ceramic elements that are slip-cast, fired, and embellished with epoxy and other synthetic materials that allow him to expand his forms beyond the limits of clay. Evoking otherworldly landscapes or surreal architectural arrangements, Nagle’s inventive works elicit a vast range of associations. “The thing you want people to feel,” Nagle has said, “is something they haven’t felt before.” An exhibition of eighteen new sculptures and six related drawings is on view at 523 West 24th Street through October 23.
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Hot Prowler 2021 Ceramic, catalyzed polyurethane, epoxy resin, and acrylic
Giving reality its due is Nagle’s specialty. And he does it like no one else. In his hands, reality is more splendid than usual: complex, confounding, and charged, it sizzles with mystery and rivets your attention to every detail.
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—David Pagel
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Only the Homely 2021 Ceramic, catalyzed polyurethane, epoxy resin, and acrylic
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Necessar y Obstacles 2021 Ceramic, catalyzed polyurethane, epoxy resin, and acrylic
Massimiliano Gioni: What do you like the look of?
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Ron Nagle: Everything from nature to low rider cars, to Japanese interiors, gardens, food, etc. All things Japanese really, and fashion magazines, high-end food presentation, other art, some sculpture, mostly painting, random influences from street imagery, graffiti, architecture, and then textures and color combinations, or a tastefully assembled outfit.
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The Eye-roller 2021 Ceramic, catalyzed polyurethane, and epoxy resin
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Smar t as a Whippet 2021 Ceramic, glaze, catalyzed polyurethane, and epoxy resin
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Pink Flamenco 2021 Ceramic, catalyzed polyurethane, and epoxy resin
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Ron Nagle’s studio in San Francisco
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WPLJ (White Por t & Lemon Juice) 2021 Ceramic, catalyzed polyurethane, and epoxy resin
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Shadow Knocker 2021 Wood, porcelain, and catalyzed polyurethane
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Silent Witness 2021 Ceramic, catalyzed polyurethane, and epoxy resin
If Fabergé had lived in California, loved hot rods and surfboards, and been blessed with an impudent art-historical wit, on his best day he still couldn’t compete with Nagle. No larger than teacups, Nagle’s pieces shine, glow, swoop, curve, and blend—each with its own ghostly presence and haunting silhouette. We don’t know what they are, but, clearly, they couldn’t be better.
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—Dave Hickey
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Nor th Pole Dancer 2021 Ceramic, catalyzed polyurethane, and epoxy resin
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Barnyard Dharma 2021 Ceramic, catalyzed polyurethane, epoxy resin, and acrylic
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Dark Alibi 2021 Ceramic and catalyzed polyurethane
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Ron Nagle on his work
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Required Scandal 2021 Ceramic, catalyzed polyurethane, and epoxy resin
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Sinister Disguise 2021 Ceramic, catalyzed polyurethane, and epoxy resin
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Cur tain of Oblivion 2021 Ceramic, glaze, catalyzed polyurethane, and epoxy resin
The execution of the work approaches perfection. The carefully composed pallet of paint and glaze is meticulously applied, often in several layers, resulting in a finish that effortlessly matches the transcendent beauty of sixteenth-century Momoyama aesthetics.
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—Annemartine van Kesteren
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The Whisperer 2021 Ceramic, catalyzed polyurethane, epoxy resin, and acrylic
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The Perfect Strum 2021 Ceramic, catalyzed polyurethane, and epoxy resin
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Distingushed Mustang 2021 Ceramic and catalyzed polyurethane
I found my way to art through rebellion. From seeing and hearing stuff I’d never heard before. It gave me my own secret life.
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—Ron Nagle
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Untitled 2020 Ink, colored pencil, and graphite on craft paper
Untitled 2021 Ink, acrylic, colored pencil, and graphite on craft paper
Untitled 2020 Ink, colored pencil, and graphite on craft paper
Untitled 2020 Ink, acrylic, colored pencil, and graphite on craft paper
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Untitled 2020 Ink, colored pencil, and graphite on craft paper
Untitled 2020 Ink, colored pencil, and graphite on craft paper
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View exhibition checklist On view at Matthew Marks Gallery 523 West 24th Street New York, through October 23. For additional information, please contact Jacqueline Tran at 212-2430200 or jacqueline@matthewmarks.com.
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