Yuri Masnyj's 2007 Exhibition at Metro Pictures Explores Modernist Recycling and Conceptual Spaces
From June 21 to July 31, 2007, Metro Pictures in New York City hosted Yuri Masnyj's exhibition titled "The Night's Still Young." This showcase presented a range of drawings and hybrid sculptures influenced by 20th-century artists such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Masnyj's drawings illustrate interior settings featuring white skeletal structures set against dark voids, incorporating elements of Cubism and Matisse's style. The sculptures consist of handmade items, including black wax-cast bottles and fictional hardcover books, reflecting Constructivist inspirations. Notable pieces like "Books and Sculptures" (2007) explore the interplay of language and imagery. Critic Carter Ratcliff characterized Masnyj's work as cognitive, representing themes of knowledge and emptiness while reinterpreting modernist techniques into a novel sign system.
Key facts
- Exhibition title: "The Night's Still Young"
- Dates: June 21 – July 31, 2007
- Location: Metro Pictures, 519 West 24th Street, New York City
- Artist: Yuri Masnyj
- Featured works include drawings "All In Colors" (2007) and "Big Books" (2007)
- Sculpture "Books and Sculptures" (2007) features a bookshelf with faux books and Constructivist-inspired elements
- References modernist artists including Picasso, Matisse, Morandi, Klee, Noguchi, Malevich, and Calder
- Work engages with Russian Constructivist poster designs and the relationship between language and images
Entities
Artists
- Yuri Masnyj
- Pablo Picasso
- Henri Matisse
- Giorgio Morandi
- Paul Klee
- Isamu Noguchi
- Kazimir Malevich
- Alexander Calder
- Carter Ratcliff
Institutions
- Metro Pictures
- artcritical
Locations
- New York City
- United States