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John Chamberlain: Gondolas (1981-1985) and Dooms Day Flotilla (1982)

April 5, 1990–March 3, 1991, Dia Chelsea

Overview

Although Chamberlain’s freestanding sculptures and wall reliefs had long been recognized for their singular importance in contemporary sculpture, the Gondolas, a series of elongated, low-floor pieces, remained largely unknown and represented a key group of his sculptures. This exhibition was the first presentation of these works as a series, as well as their first exhibition in New York. Seven of thirteen Gondolas were on view as well as the large-scale sculpture Dooms Day Flotilla (1982). In concurrence with Dia’s exhibition, an outdoor sculpture, Memorial to Lost Souls at Sea, was sited at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island. A catalogue documenting the entire Gondola series, Dooms Day Flotilla, and Memorial to Lost Souls at Sea was published in the fall of 1990.

Artist

John Chamberlain

(1927–2011)

John Chamberlain was born in Rochester, Indiana, in 1927. He died in New York City in 2011.

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Books

Photo: Ethan Harrison

John Chamberlain: Gondolas and Dooms Day Flotilla

This catalogue documents the exhibition of sculptures at Dia Center for the Arts, New York, April 5, 1990–March 3, 1991. Interviews with John Chamberlain by Julie Sylvester and Lawrence Weiner.

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