Franz West

Chameleon, 2004

© Archiv Franz West © Estate Franz West • Photo: Richard-Max Tremblay

Franz West, Chameleon, © Archiv Franz West © Estate Franz West • Photo: Richard-Max Tremblay

© Archiv Franz West © Estate Franz West • Photo: Richard-Max Tremblay

Franz West, Chameleon, © Archiv Franz West © Estate Franz West • Photo: Richard-Max Tremblay
Artist
Franz West
Title
Chameleon
Dimensions and medium
1 table and 8 chairs, corner walls, wood, metal, colour, Table: 78 cm (height) × 180 .5 cm (diameter); chair: 87 × 45.5 × 56 cm (each)
Artwork description
Franz West’s installation titled Chameleon uses one of the artist’s favourite strategies: concealing the utilitarian nature of an object—in this case, a round table and eight chairs. The primary element of this minimalist work is colour, which, according to the artist’s directives, must be chosen by the exhibition’s curator. Presented as a unifying whole, the colour is applied to the gallery walls, the tabletop, and the seat and back of each chair. By requiring the intervention of another entity— the work’s collector or a museum curator—each time the installation is displayed, West reinforces the importance of color as a way of working against its association as a purely decorative element. Skillfully combining painting and sculpture, this work carries conceptual and existential dimensions which are revisited with each presentation.

See Also

Fantasmagorie lumineuse, 2008, DVD projected on wood screen, stereo sound, 18 min 58 s, 1/3.
Manon De Pauw, Fantasmagorie lumineuse, 2008 Fantasmagorie lumineuse, 2008, DVD projected on wood screen, stereo sound, 18 min 58 s, 1/3.
Tous ces visages, 2007-2008, Drawings (coloured pencil, felt pen and dry pastel on paper), masks (coloured pencil, felt pen, watercolour, paper, aluminum tape), polaroid photographs, video, sound, text and presentation tables.
Raphaëlle de Groot, Tous ces visages, 2007-2008 Tous ces visages, 2007-2008, Drawings (coloured pencil, felt pen and dry pastel on paper), masks (coloured pencil, felt pen, watercolour, paper, aluminum tape), polaroid photographs, video, sound, text and presentation tables.
Sans titre, 1984, Mixed media and pigment.
Anish Kapoor, Sans titre, 1984 Sans titre, 1984, Mixed media and pigment.
Orchestre à géométrie variable, 2013-2014, Amplifiers, bows, exotic wood, audio cables, wires, loudspeakers, microcontrollers, microphones, motors and ABS tubes.
Jean-Pierre Gauthier, Orchestre à géométrie variable, 2013-2014 Orchestre à géométrie variable, 2013-2014, Amplifiers, bows, exotic wood, audio cables, wires, loudspeakers, microcontrollers, microphones, motors and ABS tubes.
Les Hôtes, 2007, reconstituted in 2009, Glass, mirror, cotton tablecloth, table and lighting system.
Claudie Gagnon, Les Hôtes, 2007, reconstituted in 2009 Les Hôtes, 2007, reconstituted in 2009, Glass, mirror, cotton tablecloth, table and lighting system.
still of True North, 2004, 16 mm black and white and colour film transfered on 2 DVDs, 2 screens, sound, 14 min 20 s, 2/6.
Isaac Julien, True North, 2004 still of True North, 2004, 16 mm black and white and colour film transfered on 2 DVDs, 2 screens, sound, 14 min 20 s, 2/6.
Ombre #4 « Maurice », 1983-1984, Acrylic on plywood.
Christian Kiopini, Ombre #4 « Maurice », 1983-1984 Ombre #4 « Maurice », 1983-1984, Acrylic on plywood.
still of Unwriting, 2010, 4 colour video, 4-channel projection, sound, 12 min, 1/5.
Nelson Henricks, Unwriting, 2010 still of Unwriting, 2010, 4 colour video, 4-channel projection, sound, 12 min, 1/5.
Driven II, 1985, Hologram by transmission and color photography on painted wood panel, white light.
Michael Snow, Driven II, 1985 Driven II, 1985, Hologram by transmission and color photography on painted wood panel, white light.
La Nativité, 1995, Waxed plaster, wood, wax and cow skin.
Gilles Mihalcean, La Nativité, 1995 La Nativité, 1995, Waxed plaster, wood, wax and cow skin.
Château d’eau : lumière mythique, 1997, Cedar, metal, mirrors, narwhal ivory tusks, motor and light.
Irene F. Whittome, Château d’eau : lumière mythique, 1997 Château d’eau : lumière mythique, 1997, Cedar, metal, mirrors, narwhal ivory tusks, motor and light.
still of Exiles of the Shattered Star, 2006, HD video, colour, loop, sound, 29 min 51 s, 5/5.
Kelly Richardson, Exiles of the Shattered Star, 2006 still of Exiles of the Shattered Star, 2006, HD video, colour, loop, sound, 29 min 51 s, 5/5.
Les Couleurs de Cézanne dans les mots de Rilke, 36/100 - essai, 1997-1998, Vinyl and acrylic paint on canvas mounted on agglomerated pine fiber and framed book.
Francine Savard, Les Couleurs de Cézanne dans les mots de Rilke, 36/100 - essai, 1997-1998 Les Couleurs de Cézanne dans les mots de Rilke, 36/100 - essai, 1997-1998, Vinyl and acrylic paint on canvas mounted on agglomerated pine fiber and framed book.
LOVELAND, 2009-2011, HD video, 5 min, sound by Tim Hecker, limited edition of the book « The Purple Cloud » from Matthew Phipps Shiel, Chatham synthetic emeralds.
Charles Stankievech, LOVELAND, 2009-2011 LOVELAND, 2009-2011, HD video, 5 min, sound by Tim Hecker, limited edition of the book « The Purple Cloud » from Matthew Phipps Shiel, Chatham synthetic emeralds.
Factory for a Day, 1996-2008, Various materials, paintings, photographs, videos and sound.
Tricia Middleton, Factory for a Day, 1996-2008 Factory for a Day, 1996-2008, Various materials, paintings, photographs, videos and sound.
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