Ink on Paper (Primary Title)
Ceal Floyer, English, born Pakistan, born 1968 (Artist)
"A woman walks into a bar, goes up to the barman and asks for a double entendre. So he gives her one."—Ceal Floyer
Floyer is known for her spare use of materials to create evocative images and experiences. Despite their austerity and formal beauty, Floyer’s work is often informed by a sense of the absurd and a fondness for everyday objects. As in a joke, Floyer condenses complex social and linguistic phenomenon into pieces that are easy to “get” but difficult to explain. This forty-part work was created by pressing individual STABIL O felt-tipped pens onto blotting paper until the ink reservoirs emptied out onto the page. As vessels rather than drawing instruments, the pens are used in an unconventional manner that preservestheir material purity. The result is a beautiful but simple composition that resonates with stain paintings by artists such as Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland. The work also echoes Conceptual Art’s predetermined systems and its renunciation of the familiar signs of artistic ego as a way to make works seemingly independent of any specific author.
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.