Gego: Measuring Infinity

    The Guggenheim’s Gego: Measuring Infinity exhibition is a display of works done by Gertrude Goldschidt (aka Gego) as the first major retrospective in the United States on her since 2005, after her passing in 1994. The museum displayed around 200 pieces of hers on the rotunda, going almost to the top of the ramps. They organized it chronologically, which is able to show us how her work progressed as she continued her practice throughout her life. You can see how she experimented with material and form, and how each piece influenced another. 

    Gego’s 3-dimensional forms are playful but show a skilled knowledge of 3D design and proportions. Every piece has a lot of personality. The constant stream of wire forms almost started to get repetitive, but as you keep going, and as you work your way through, you start to also see how she explored with mediums, and started working with printmaking. This was a really interesting divergence from her work, because you could see how she was using 2-dimensional elements in her work in multiple ways. For one, she used only (or majority) wire in her earlier works, which is a 2D material, to make 3D sculptures. Moving to her prints, she was able to translate her 3D work, and those same design elements into 2D pieces, while still maintaining the same personality. 

    The addition of her logo and branding exploration was a nice break in the exhibition, displaying work that was not necessarily her own, but showing how she started branding herself. This was also exciting to see as a way of showing how her work reflected her own personality. 

- Stella