Triple Candie's Unauthorized Cady Noland Exhibition Recreates Sculptures from Secondary Sources

Triple Candie gallery in New York presented an unauthorized exhibition of Cady Noland's work from April 21 to May 21, 2006. The show featured recreations of Noland's sculptures and editions made by the gallery and four artists using photographic images from the Internet and catalogs. Noland, born in 1956, emerged in the late 1980s with exhibitions at American Fine Arts, the 1991 Whitney Biennial, and Documenta in 1992 before withdrawing from public view in 1994. The exhibition aimed to incite public desire to experience her work despite the artist's absence. One recreation involved a cardboard multiple originally measuring 50 x 50 inches that was assembled at 48 x 48 inches. Noland's sculptures often incorporated industrial hardware like aluminum scaffolding, hand-tools, and handcuffs, as well as stacks of Budweiser beer six-packs. The replicas used contemporary, flimsier versions of these materials, reducing the original sculptural impact. Triple Candie had previously executed a similar project with David Hammons' work, displaying 100 laser copies and computer printouts taped to plywood boards. The exhibition's budget was small and created under deadline constraints. Located at 461 West 126 Street in New York, the gallery's project gave Noland's work visibility it might not have otherwise received in commercial or museum settings. The show raised questions about authenticity and artistic control while presenting under-aestheticized work that resisted pleasing viewers.