Lygia Clark: The Abandonment of Art, Forget About It

The MoMA has a major retrospective of work by Lygia Clark (1948-88.)  A Brazilian artist (well - she wanted to distance herself from an artist's vernacular) and to abandon herself from art.  Her highflying, ho-hum conceits apply the anamnesis; actual art is tactile & contained within one's body.  To which you will find performance artists who are friendly & approachable handling different materials & masks (her originals works are on the walls - not to be touched.)  Ironically, the masks and body suits call to mind "Breaking Bad" methane making uniforms.  The empty onion sacks are obvious allegories to the many layers yet to be revealed from within oneself.  The metal & wood sculptures were beautifully crafted although the "artistic" aesthetic result was not tantamount to the process of creating.  Her oil paintings on wood in the 50's, prior to her break from modernism are stunning but echo Mondrian's works.  I found the paintings combining puzzle shaped wood pieces intriguing.  Her quest to discover the organic line remained elusive to Clark and an enigma to me.  The exhibit contains several hands on sculptures meant to be manipulated.  The HOUSE is a structure which invites people to enter & pass through.  It represents "penetration, ovulation, germination & expulsion."  "But I felt nothing, except the feeling that this bullshit was absurd." (M. Hamlisch)