Some Dimensions of my Lunch: Part 1

Richard Saltoun Gallery's first exhibition in its four-part series examining the history of Conceptual art in Britain between the 1960s and 1970s begins with a solo show devoted to the artist Roelof LOUW. 

Roelof Louw is considered to be one of the most radical conceptual sculptors working in England in the '60s and '70s. His pyramid of 8,000 oranges, Soul City (Pyramid of Oranges), first shown in 1967, continues to cause a sensation wherever it is shown (it was recently named in the press as one of the "10 most perplexing works of the twentieth century", a list which also included Marcel Duchamp's Urinal).

The exhibition at Richard Saltoun Gallery brings together two of Louw's most important contributions to the development of Conceptual art in Britain: When Attitudes Become Form: Park Lane, which was exhibited at the Kunsthalle, Bern; and Rope Piece, which will be installed for the first time since it was exhibited at the ICA, London in 1969.  

Born 1936 in South Africa, Louw came to London to study sculpture at St Martins in 1961. He was one of only a handful of British-based Artists to exhibit in the key European exhibitions that defined Conceptual Art: Op Losse Schroeven, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam and When Attitudes Become Form, Kunsthalle Bern, Museum Haus Lange, Krefeld and ICA London (all 1969). Later he was included in Lucy Lippard's celebrated Six Years: The Dematerialization of the Art Object from 1966 to 1972, the first anthology to document conceptual art made between 1966 and 1972. Lippard herself installed Louw's work Holland Park in her celebrated 'numbers' shows, 557,087 at Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, 1969 and at 955,000 Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, 1970.

Louw went on to represent Britain at Between Man and Matter, the famous 10th Tokyo Biennale in 1970, where he exhibited Rolled Lead Work (1970). He later spent time teaching and working in the USA and Canada where he exhibited in several of the Land Art exhibitions of the 70s before settling again in Cape Town, where he lives and works today.

Some Dimensions of My Lunch: Conceptual Art in Britain (1956 – 1979) at Richard Saltoun Gallery will feature important work by many of the famous protagonists of the period including John HILLIARD, Bob LAW, Terry ATKINSON (Art & Language), Keith ARNATT, John BLAKE, Barry FLANAGAN & John LATHAM, Marie YATES and Tony MORGAN.  The series has been co-curated by Joy Sleeman and Richard Saltoun.

Other exhibitions in the series include: 

Part 1: Roelof LOUW

19 May – 17 June

Part 2: Marie YATES (+ John LATHAM)

24 June – 22 July, 2016

Part 3: Focus on Tony MORGAN / John BLAKE

28 July – 26 August

Part 4: Focus on Ed HERRING / Roger PALMER

1 September – 30 September