Jack Brogan

Exhibition Photographs by Alan ShafferAll Images Courtesy of Katherine Cone Gallery

CONTENTS

Foreword by Peter Frank

Exhibition Studio

Biography & Acknowledgements

JACKEDUP:MAKINGITREALINL.A.ART

ByPeterFrank

JackBroganinventedit.Ifhehadn’t,ofcourse,someoneelsewouldhave,butlikelymuchlater,andperhapsnotasdeftly.What

Broganinventedwastheprofession–theoccupation,theposition,therole,whateveritis–ofartfabricator.Itwasaprofession

withanaugustlineage.Butitwasanewprofessionallthesame,anditstimehadcome.

Don’tletthemtellyouotherwise:makingartisacollaborativeeffort.Evenpainterswhomaketheirownpigmentsdon’tfabricate

theirownbrushesorweavetheirowncanvases.Someonehastodoitforthem.Thesedays,inparticular,artmakersmaynotknow

thepeoplewhomanufacturetheirmaterialsorbuildtheirtoolsandsupports,sometimeshalfaworldaway.Butartistsstillregard

theseartisansassiblingsundertheskin,craftingsubstancesandstructureswith(itishoped)thesameexactexactitudeand

devotionthatgoesintoturningthemintoart.Eventheoperatorofthemachinespittingouttubesofpaintorpenbitsisacolleague

ofsorts–andafigureintegraltoanyartist’sprocess.

There’sanotherlevelofcollaborationthathaslongpertainedinart,especiallywhentheartistleavesthepersonalstudioforthe

exoticclimesofaprintatelierorfoundry.Thebronzecasterormasterprinteractsasguidetotheartist,technicalmaster

interveningwheretheartist’sownhandcannotreach.Someartistsaresufficientlyproficienttorunthepressesorpourings

themselves;perhapstheyhadthemselvesservedinprintshopsorfoundries.(Orceramicworkshops,forthatmatter,orglassworks.)

Butmosthaveneededsomehelpatsomepoint–evenwhenrunningmachinestheyknowbackwardsandforwards,machinesthat

maybelocatedintheirownstudios,evencustom‐madeforthem.Thereisalwaysroomforthetechnician–especiallythe

innovativeone.

JackBroganbeganhelpingoutLosAngelesartistsintheearly1960s,solvingproblemsofpresentationthroughnewmeansof

fabricationwithnewlyavailable(mostlypetroleum‐derived)materialsandtools.RobertIrwin,lookingforanincreasinglevelof

refinementinthevisualdispersionhesoughtinhispainting,wasBrogan’sfirst“customer.”Soonenough,Irwin’scohortofLos

Angelesavantgardists,eventhosewhocoulddetailtheirowncarsorbuildtheirownsurfboards,descendedonBroganfor

assistance.Brogan’sdiversetechnicalexperience,spanningfurniture‐making,architecture,engineering,andchemistry–and

employmentattheAtomicEnergyCommissionandNASA,amongotherplaces–allowedhimtothinkacrosstheboundariesof

materialandprocess,tograspthepropertiesofnewsubstancesandmethods,andtoaddresschallengeswithawidetechnical

repertory.Heisnotacraftsmanboundbytradition,butaproblem‐solverimpelledbycuriosity.

It’sanadventureforJack,andwithJack.Heandtheartistsheworkswithfeedoneanother’sexploratoryurges,practicallydaring

oneanothertotakeitastepfurther.Jack’sspiritwasoneoftheintangiblethingsthatdroveLA’saestheticinthe1960sand‘70s–

andhishandiworkwasoneofthetangibles.Hewasandremainsequaltotheexploratorydriveofhisfriends.LarryBell,DeWain

Valentine,HelenPashgian,JohnMcCracken,PeterAlexander,evenFrankGehrymayallbeseminalfiguresintheemergenceof

“finish/fetish,”“lightandspace,”“perceptualminimalism,”“materialabstraction,”orwhateveryouwanttocallthesensibilitythat

putLAontheinternationalartmap;butBroganisitssoul,itsgo‐toguy,itsone‐manband.

WhenBroganwentintoformalbusinessasan“artfabricator”in1965(inVenice,underthename“DesignConcepts”),helaythefirst

pavingstonesforanewpathoffanoldroad.Othersinthisneckofthewoodswerefabricatingartist’sworksforthemafterafashion

–usuallyawell‐establishedfashion.HomeofTamarindandGemini,LAitselfwasalreadyplayinghosttotheAmericanprintrevival;

metalsculptorswerepatronizingweldingshopsacrosstheregion;andSouthlandartschoolsanduniversitieswerehummingwith

newwaysofthrowingclayandnewer,largerkilnstobaketheresults.But,untilJackhungouthisshingle,noonehaddeclared

himselfaspecialistinnewmedia.Broganinventednotonlyanewwayofgoingaboutmakingartobjects,butaposition,aroleinthe

artworld,forthosewhowoulddothesame.

Ahalf‐centurylater,artfabricatorsdottheinternationalartlandscape.Thebestofthemworkshouldertoshoulderwiththeirartist

clients,anddelightinsolvingtoughproblemswithacreativityandclevernessbornofcommonsense.Thesefabricators,asever,are

cutfromanornerycloth,sodon’texpectthemtoholdaconventionanytimesoon;butweretheyto,they’dprobablyhonorJack

Broganwiththeirprofession’sfirstlifetimeachievementaward.Instead,theartistshe’sservedexpresstheirgratitudeand

admirationwithbirthdaypartiesandexhibitionslikethisone.Theyaccordhimequalstatusthewaywritersaccordeditors,

composersaccordinstrumentalists,ordirectorsaccordscreenwriters.(Well,certainscreenwriters.)WemaynotknowJack,but“his”

artistsknowhimlikeabrother.

LosAngeles

April2012

Peter Alexander Untitled Wedge, 1967 Polyester resin Signed on lower side 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 x 9 inches

John McCracken Red/Black, 1977 Plywood, fiberglass, polyester resin 16 3/8 x 18 x 12 inches

Frank Gehry, Jack Brogan and Robert Irwin Easy Edges Cardboard Furniture Speaker Cabinets, prototype, 1969 Corrugated cardboard and fiberboard Each 27 x 12 x 16 inches

Frank Gehry, Jack Brogan and Robert Irwin Easy Edges Cardboard Furniture Table, production piece, 1970 Corrugated cardboard and fiberboard 26 1/4 x 13 7/8 inches

Frank Gehry, Jack Brogan and Robert Irwin Easy Edges Cardboard Furniture Straight back chair, production piece, 1970 Corrugated cardboard and fiberboard 32 3/4 x 17 1/4 inches

Clytie Alexander Diaphan 28, Lime/Phthalo, 2007 Acrylic on aluminum 48 x 35 inches Signed and numbered on veso lower edge CA07-D28

Clytie Alexander Diaphan 51, UltramarineBlue/UltramarineBlue, 2010 Acrylic on aluminum 48 x 35 inches Signed and numbered on veso lower edge CA10-D51

Clytie Alexander Diaphan 26, White/White, 2007 Acrylic on aluminum 48 x 35 inches Signed and numbered on veso lower edge CA07-D26

John Eden Black Hole, 2011-2012 Black nickel with stand 53 1/2 x 12 x 12 inches

Helen Pashgian Untitled (wall piece), 1969 Polyester 13 x 13 inches Only 5 in existence, one owned by Orange County Museum

Helen Pashgian Untitled (wall piece), 1969 Polyester 14 x 14 inches Only 5 in existence, one owned by Orange County Museum

Chris Burden Indo-China Bridge, 2002-2003 Stainless steel Edition 2/12 Signature and number engraved on side 14 7/8 x 45 x 8 1/2 inches

Larry Bell Cube 57 FBC (Framed Blk Chrome), 2007/2012 Cube Series Coated Blue & Light Gray Glass 15 x 15 inches

Lynda Benglis Untitled, (Racer Series Knot), 1989 Stainless steel mesh, metal sprayed bronze, Black nickle plated 14 x 9 inches

Robert Irwin Untitled Prism, 1974 Acrylic optically polished 9 Feet High

Studio

Projects of Jack Brogan

Armand Hammer, Los AngelesThe Art Institute of Chicago Museum, ILAutomic Regulatory Commission, TennesseeBank of America Art CollectionBoeing Aircraft Company California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA City Center, Las Vegas, NVCity of Houston, TexasCorcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DCCount Panza di Biumo de Menil Museum, TexasDonald Judd Foundation, Marfa, TexasFrank GehryFrederick R. Weisman Art Foundation/Museum Garrett Corp, Los AngelesGemini G.E.L. Los Angeles, CA General Motors, Detroit MIGuggenheim Museum, Bilbao, SpainHammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, IrelandIrving Blum Irvine Corp, CA Knoll Furniture, New YorkLannan Museum/ Foundation Lockeed Corp, Los AngelesLos Angeles County Museum of Art Louisianna Museum of Modern Art, Denmark Musee des Beaux-Arts, Dijon, France

Museum of Contemporary Art, La JollaMuseum of Contemporary Art, Los AngelesMuseum of Contemporary Art, San Diego Museum of Modern Art, New York NASA National Endowment for the Arts, US New Orleans Museum of Art, LA Orange County Museum of Contemporary Art, CA Palm Springs Museum of Art, CAPompidou Center, Paris, France Portland Art Center, Oregon Roy LichtensteinSan Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, AZScottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh Seagrams Corp, Paris, France Stedilik Museaum of Art, AmsterdamSotheby’s Contemporary Art, New York The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los AngelesUniversity of ArizonaUniversity of California, IrvineUniversity of California, Los AngelesUniversity of California, San Diego

Katherine Cone Gallery thanks the following people for helping to make this exhibition possible:

Edith BaumannBilly Al and Wendy Al Bengston

Peter FrankAlan Shaffer

Bertil Petersson

Jack has a debt of gratitude to all the artists he has enabled these last 50 years.

Acknowledgements:

© Katherine Cone Gallery, 2012

Katherine Cone gallery2673 S. la cienega blvd. los angeles, ca 90034

310.287.1558

www.katherineconegallery.com