John McCracken
Nine Planks V, 1974
Polyester resin, fiberglass, and plywood
96 x 19 x 2 1/4 inches
LAM/OCMA Art Collection Trust, Gift of Murray
and Ruth Gribin
LAM.1984.026

John McCracken's rigorously reductive three-dimensional forms share the aesthetics of Minimalism; his use of industrial materials and techniques to produce smooth, seamless surfaces allies him with other California artists of the 1960s. McCracken's works are characteristically composed of a single, simple volume executed in one color or material. Objects in their own right with no overt allusions or external narrative, the works force the viewer to accept and appreciate them visually on their own terms of color and form. At the same time, their references to architectural forms and their human scale enable them to function interactively with the viewer and the surrounding environment.