Page 39 - Studio International - October 1967

when completed it fell perfectly into place with Triangle.
Bent Building was the last of the first six pieces to be
altered, and by the time he had transformed the other
five pieces, Dine had waived the possibility of simply
grinding the primer coats off the remaining work.
Instead, Dine eliminated the possibility altogether of
altering the surface of Bent Building in terms of texture;
the work—hobbling and bobbling in space—was the most
aggressive and thus needed the slightest change. Rolling on
Day-Glo Flaming Red, the artist successfully transformed
the delicate steel frame into a warm, hovering volume.
With these six objects now complete, Dine began to
consider other possible forms that he could add to the
project. He was still considering the use of a rainbow
form, a bucket, moon, bridge, or Niagara letters; but
finally he resolved to introduce two new forms instead :
Hand and the Taj Mahal.
Hand was the first piece executed by Dine from drawing
to finished state, as well as the first form to be constructed
out of plywood sheets. Hand, with its thumb amputated,
was cut out of two six-foot sheets of plywood that were
braced together with linoleum. With the form complete,
Dine then considered tarring the hand, but decided
finally to fit a glove over the plywood-linoleum appen-
dage. Using a heavy, flowered material, Dine's wife
sewed a large and tailored glove that was pulled on to the
form. Like the material covering Tube, Hand, too, was
clothed, balancing the entire project not only in its
similarity of texture, but posture as well.
If the seventh piece in Dine's Nancy and I at Ithaca de-
parted in materials and execution from the preceding
objects, the Taj Mahal proved to be the most atypical of
all the pieces. The poly-vinyl-chloride (soil pipes) —arched,
connected so that what was inside could only escape if
one knocked off the spiggot—were so constructed as to
form a tan, plastic gazebo. It was singular in that it was
the only piece that was meant to be walked through, not
touched; the only form whose material was so unbeliev-
able and tactile that it needed no alteration by Dine. In
relation to the other seven pieces, Taj seemed to increase
and expand the scale of the entire project.
Nancy and I at Ithaca becomes a consistently personal
statement by Jim Dine. The project falls somewhere
between painting and sculpture, having elements of both
media. As Dine noted, 'I don't think there is a difference
any more between painting and sculpture. There just
isn't any room left for that kind of labelling. Art itself is so
Centre foreground Lips coat into thin pieces, placing the strips of fur along all of general now in those terms'.
painted sheet metal the edges. The references became more pronounced. The Nancy and I at Ithaca is comprised, then, of objects whose
Left foreground Tube
tall Tube now seemed to fit up tight with the newly furred references in terms of shape are recognizeable in most
cloth-covered sheet metal
cylinder 9 ft. high Triangle, and it seemed natural indeed that he should instances, but whose content is always the personal,
Left background next alter the Tube. By the time he had finished furring enigmatic, and effective kind of statement which Dine
Bent Building the Triangle, Dine was once again taking a different tack. has successfully been able to sustain throughout his
painted steel bars 7 ft. high The richly surfaced fur piece presented a problem: how career. As he admits, his art is 'a bit more complicated
Right background Hand
could he find an equally successful surface for the Tube, now. I'm changing, my ideas are changing. I'm not
cloth covered plywood
yet manage to keep his restraint? Then too, the Tube, in satisfied in staying in one bag.' The scale has changed,
6 ft. high
terms of size, was certainly the most commanding piece and one no longer expects to see any more 'paintings'
in the group. The solution was indeed a success : imita- from the hand of Jim Dine. 'Unless you are some kind of
tion corduroy cobra skin. The black metal Tube slipped recluse,' he once remarked, 'if you are living in the
perfectly and easily into its new skin. Like a skilled twentieth century right now, I don't know how you can
tailor, the artist cut and fitted the pieces of cloth, care- go to your studio to paint. For to push oil paint on a
fully Blueing the material on to the surface of the Tube; canvas now seems ridiculous. It's just too small a scale.' q
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