Charles Gaines: 1992-2023

A preeminent figure in conceptual art, Charles is widely known for converting images and text-based documents into numerical structures, musical notations, and other sign systems through rigorous translation mechanisms. In 1992, Gaines’s practice underwent a pivotal shift when he began to replace non-descript images with critical theory frameworks, ranging from the writings of Franz Kafka and Frantz Fanon to the manifestos of the Black Panthers and the American Indian Movement. By doing so, Gaines has channeled decolonial discourses into complex formal and conceptual works, in addition to combining different media such as video and sound.

Organized by the ICA Miami, Charles Gaines: 1992-2023 features a selection of works from series that Gaines has worked on since 1992 to demonstrate the evolution of his approach to transforming images, texts, and diverse materials into a distinct visual language. The survey also features a number of monumental works. Greenhouse (2003–2023) is a massive 12 x 16-foot sculptural enclosure that contains three stainless steel trees at the center. These trees become enveloped with smoke as adjacent monitors track historical and real-time temperature patterns of global warming. The work represents a poignant meditation on the global climate crisis that has persisted from the 18th century to the present. The exhibition also features the sculptural installation Falling Rock (2000–2023), in which a 65-lb piece of granite drops at randomized intervals, leaving viewers in suspense of the work’s outcome.

Charles Gaines: 1992-2023 is presented in conjunction with the debut of the complete series of Gaines’ most recent body of work, Numbers and Trees: Arizona Trees 1, 2023, presented in the Museum’s Cummings Great Hall.

Credit: Overview from museum website