Robert Irwin's 1960s Retrospective at Hirshhorn Museum Features New Installation and Revisits His Swift Evolution

Between April 7 and September 5, 2016, Washington D.C.'s Hirshhorn Museum showcased 'All the Rules Will Change,' a comprehensive look at Robert Irwin's work from the 1960s. This marked his first museum exhibition outside California since 1977 and introduced a new installation titled Square the Circle (2015–16). Irwin's artistic path commenced in the late 1950s with works such as Form for Tomorrow (Gray) (1960) and Lucky U (1960), evolving into simplified large-scale pieces and nearly monochromatic dot paintings by 1962. He progressed to acrylic paintings on aluminum discs in 1967, and by 1970-71, he created illuminated columns like Untitled (1970-71). Square the Circle features a scrim along the gallery wall, illustrating Irwin's transition from Abstract Expressionism to perceptual installations.