Pol Bury : Instants donnsEspace Fondation EDF6, rue Rcamier 75007 ParisApril 28 - August 23, 2015Published at Hyperallergic as Kinetic Sculpture that Moves at a Snail-like Pacehttp://hyperallergic.com/229750/kinetic-sculpture-that-moves-at-a-snail-like-pace/Pol Bury in front of his work 4087 cylindres rectiles (1972) Centre Pompidou, MNAM/CCII particularly admire Pol Burys (19222005) shimmering kinetic work when he puts technologyin the service of European slowness. At Espace Fondation EDF, curator Daniel Marchesseau andVelmaBury,theartistswife,haveassembledanexceptionalhistoricpresentation(freetothepublic)ofBurysdecelerateandwhimsicalart.ThepoeticmovementsthatBuryassignedtohisstirringsculpturesandwallpiecesarerepeatedlygradualand/orperiodical.Thereisanimperceptiblequiveringactioninsomeofthemthatdoesnotimmediatelyregisterwithmostviewers.ThisuserunfriendlyaspectrepresentsBurysuniquepursuitofadynamisminartthatwasinitiatedbytheCubo-FuturistsandintensifiedbyNaumGabo,AntonPevsner,LszlMoholy-Nagy,LudwigHirschfeld-MackandthenNicolas SchfferandTakis,etal.LikeBury,theywereconcernedwithopeningupthestaticthree-dimensionalsculpturalformtoafourthdimensionoftimeandmotionthatprovokesinthepsycheatemporaryde-materialization oftheart object.Such wooly and wiggy things went on in the search for a total art back in the 1960s, as developedoutofspectatorparticipation,beginningwithOpArt:thathard-edgegeometricalmovementlargelyinspiredbyvariousopticalexperimentsofMarcelDuchamp.Jesus-RafaelSoto,BridgetRiley,theGRAVgroup,YayoiKusama,CarlosCruz-Diez,YaacovAgam,MarianZazeelaandVictor Vasarely (among others) are key Op references here. Op Art implied the kinetic in that itcalledattentiontothespectatorsindividual,constructiveandchangingperceptions,andthuscalled upon the attitude of the spectator to transfer the creative act increasingly upon herself. ButKinetic Art also played an important part in pioneering the unambiguous use of optical movementandinfashioninglinksbetweenscience,technologyandartrelatingtothenotionoftheenvironment.Simply stated, the term kinetic means the study of the relationship between moving bodies. Hencethe term Kinetic Art is usually used to describe either three-dimensional mobiles or constructionsthatmoveineitherforeordainedorunplannedways.WithOpArt(whichiskineticinthatOpsituationsemployopticalillusionthateffectanappearanceofmotion)andKineticArt(bothconceptualdescendantsoftheshiftingperceptionsinitiatedin20thcenturypaintingwithImpressionism,CubismandFuturism),theartworkunderconsiderationisnolongermerelyacategoricalsystembutincreasinglyaninvocationtoraucousperception.Thustheelementofpersonal choice and physical motion by the beholder is emphasized, resulting in a decline in theart objects sequestered, fetishistic standing as an objet d'art.This trend is very well exemplified by the work of the Belgium Pol Bury and makes him useful inconsidering subject/object polarity in terms of artistic experience. That is the theoretical premise,at least, in which I will briefly consider this show.Giventheperiod-piecenatureoftheexhibition,Ifounditstylisticallyengagingalbeitretroinlook.ItrecalledformemyideasoftheearlyParis60sandtheshinnyfuturisticspaceagedesigns of Paco Rabanne that also involved the use of moving metallic discs.Installation view of Pol Bury : Instants donns, photo Joseph NechvatalSphreavecdeuxplanssuruncube(1975)Acierinoxydable,aimant,40x20x20cmCollection prive Courtesy Galerie Patrick Derom, BruxellesIntruth,Burys rather clunky looking sculptures are far more interesting to experience than lookat(particularlyinreproduction),astheirescargot-likepaceofmovementlendsacoolZenishatmospheretoaroom.Slow,seeminglyrandom,tremblingmovementsofindividualpartsofagroup of forms are leisurely tickled by purring hidden motors. Particularly funny and gratifying ishiserectionserieswheresmallwoodenrod-formsevery-so-oftentwitchabitupwardsandthenpatheticallywiltbackdown,suchasinthehuge4087cylindresrectiles(1972)andthesmaller, earlier Rrectile (1964).4087 cylindres rectiles (1972) 250 x 710 x 45 cm Oeuvre en 3 dimensions, installation mixteCylindres articuls, chne verni sur panneaux de bois, moteurs Centre Pompidou, MNAM/CCI,ParisInstallation view of 4087 cylindres rectiles (1972) 250 x 710 x 45 cm Oeuvre en 3 dimensions,installationmixteCylindresarticuls,chnevernisurpanneauxdebois,moteursCentrePompidou, MNAM/CCI, Paris, photo Joseph NechvatalRrectile (1964) Bois & moteur, Collection prive, photo Joseph NechvatalPlansmobiles(circa1953)110x150cm,Tigesdeferetpanneauxmasonitepeints,Collection priveMultiplans (1957) 117 x 65.5 x 16.2 cm, 10 lames mtalliques et fond Isorel, peint lhuile enbleu,bleuple,jaune,orange,rouge,vert,cadreetcaissemtalnoir,courrole,moteurCollection LetaillieurInstallation view of Pol Bury, photo by Joseph Nechvatal25oeufssurunplateau(1970)laitonpoli,moteur,aimants,50x50x20cmCollectionpriveA sense of hypnotic connection between the human psyche and the surrounding environment is afair description of the alert experience of sharing a room with these pieces. At times one senses abreeze in the room that does not exist. I think it is appropriate to think of his work as a means oftransforming static perspective vision into luminous motion study.2270 points blanc sur un losange Entit (1965) Relief tactile, moteur, bois, nylon et acrylique, Muse de Grenoble, photo Joseph Nechvatal1815 et 2185 points blanc (1967) Relief tactile, moteur, bois, nylon et acrylique, Collectiondu MAC VAL, Muse dArt contemporian du Val-de-Marne, photo Joseph NechvatalAlso granting an unsettling effect with regard to the spectators ocular aptitude are Burys wigglyhairy wall pieces, such as 2270 points blanc sur un losange Entit (1965) and 1815 et 2185points blanc (1967). They consist of a textured wooden picture plane with protruding bunches ofgrass/hair-liketendrils,againpoweredbyaveiledmotor.Theirunexpectedandirregularslowmotiongivesthemanelementofdilatedtimewheresurpriseandchanceseemtoemerge.Thatquality seems to me to be a legacy of the Surrealists. Whimsical humor and delight permeates theworksgentlevisualpoetry,whichmakesBuryakeyfigureinthemiddleoftheart-techintellectualnarrationanarrationthatincreasinglydefinesartisticachievementoutsidemarketconsiderations/manipulations in the beginning of the 21st century.Hispluckymusicalinstruments,like17cordeshorizontalesetcylinders(1973)and12et13cordesvertcalesetleurcylinder(1973)createanunexpectedminimalmusicthroughthegrinding,scraping,rattlingofthehiddenmechanism.Thismechanicalmurmur,alongwiththeplucking of the strings, creates a tiny eccentric symphony of impromptu notes and noise.17cordeshorizontalesetcylinders(1973)Bois,125x49x18,5cmCollectionSylvieBaltazart-Eon12 et 13 cordes verticales et leur cylinder (1973) Bois et nylon, 141 x 50 x 25 cm CollectionSylvieBaltazart-Eon20-17cordeshorizontalesetcylindres,1973,Bois,125x49x18,5cmCollection Sylvie Baltazart-Eon43lmentssefaisantface(1968),Collectionprive,CourtesyGaleriePatrickDerom,Bruxelles, photo by Joseph NechvatalAlsoonviewareanumberoffountainsandmodelswhereBuryincorporatedwaterasanadditionalingredientofmovementinhissculpture.Themovementthatheassignedtothesesculptures was also rather slow, often not immediately registering with the viewer.Generally,BurysworkisnotastechnicallysophisticatedorflashyasNicolas Schffers, (whoalsohadanenlighteningretrospectiveatEspaceFondationEDFafewyearsago)forexample,Schffers CYSP 1 (1956), a work considered the first cybernetic sculpture in art history madewithelectroniccomputationsdevelopedbythePhilipsCompany.CYSP1issetonabasemountedonfourrollers,whichcontainsthemechanismandtheelectronicbrain.Photoelectriccells and a microphone built into the sculpture catch all the variations in the fields of color, lightintensityandsoundintensity.Allthesechangesoccasionreactionsonthepartofthesculpture.Coloredlightsbounceoffrevolvingpolishedmetaltowers-castingever-changinglightsandshadows onto huge wall-screens and into our eyes. Oh la la! Party room!Bycontrast,Buryspolishedmetalpieces,likeGrandcubemiroiravecdemi-sphres(1970),haveonlyabitofthisheavymetalrazzledazzle.Generallyspeaking,hisslower,moremodest,post-Surrealistdisplaysoftechnologicalprowessprotecttheworkfromfallingintothespecialeffects category of spectacle that sometimes swallows up Schffers grander projects.Grand cube miroir avec demi-sphres (1970) private collection, photo Joseph NechvatalThe perverse dreaminess of Surrealist taste detected in his work is traceable to young Burys firstinfluence, meeting Ren Magritte, who inspired him to start painting in Surrealist style. But Burythenabandonedpaintingin1952afterencounteringthesculptureofAlexanderCalder.Caldersmobiles,inparticular,madeapowerfulimpression,onethatwecanseeinBurysfirstkineticpiecesfromthe1950s:weathervane-likesculpturesthatwereinter-activatedbyviewer-participants.In1955thisinteractiveworkledhimtobeingaskedtoparticipateinthehistoricalexhibitionLeMovementthatwasorganizedinParisbyDeniseRenandPontusHulten.Thereafter,BurydroppedinteractivityforthemotorizedandchosetolivepermanentlyinPariswith significant time spent in the United States between 1966 and 1971, particularly in Manhattanand Berkeley.BuryhassaidSpeedlimitsspace,slownessincreasesit.Henseperhapsonecentralbenefitofthis show of eighty works might be in its allowing us to better position Bury in a certain art-techartist-engineer intellectual geography - one that is far from evident or exhausted.Joseph Nechvatal