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After reading Fred Camper’s review of the Richard Tuttle gallery exhibition (November 24), I wish to invite him to attend a new show by the underappreciated Chicago minimalist Sky Brown, which will run indefinitely in the alley behind my apartment. The show features many of his more important works, such as Rock, Stick, Crack In The Cement, and Partially Crushed Empty Detergent Box #6. This courageous show is being mounted entirely without sponsorship, structure, or public interest. None of the pieces are “exhibited” in the usual sense: completely absent are the choking constraints of spotlight, frame, and pedestal so typical of more mundane gallery showings; our focus is entirely unforced. There are no labels as to title, materials used, or date of creation. Initially, one is unsure that he is actually viewing an installed piece and not just some naturally occurring bit of debris instead. Additionally, the unenclosed and undefined space (it is difficult even to know when one is “at” the show) encourages exploration with a uniquely open mind.
Sky Brown
