Bo Diddley

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Bo Diddley

Artist Richard Serra (American, 1939 - 2024)

Publisher Gemini G.E.L. at Joni Moisant Weyl

Date1999

DimensionsOverall: 48 1/16 x 47 1/2 in. (122 x 120.7 cm)

MediumOne color etching on Somerset Satin 850 grain paper

ClassificationPrints

Credit LineFrederick B. and Kate L. Shoemaker Fund

Object number

2000.5

Not on View

Label TextBlack is a property, not a quality. In terms of weight, black is heavier, creates a larger volume, holds itself in a more compressed field. Bo Diddley is part of a body of work known as “Rounds,” that includes 15 massive prints. Richard Serra spent nearly 12 months conceiving and printing these etchings at the Los Angeles based artists’ workshop, Gemini G.E.L. Although known for his powerful, large-scale sculpture, Serra invests his two-dimensional prints with the same aggressive force as his three-dimensional works. Serra named each of the etchings in the series after musicians, such as Bessie Smith, B.B. King, Al Green, and legendary bluesman and rock pioneer Bo Diddley (1928–2008). The titles allude to the vibrant rhythm and expressive surface texture of the etchings, as well as to their heroic scale. These larger than life figures are bursting with a combination of raw power and artistry that joyfully draws the viewer in. Gravity is overcome as the dense black forms swirl and splatter in all directions, defying the edges of the page.Published ReferencesNYT Bochum, "Richard Serra Prints 1972-1999: Catalogue Raisonne" (1999)Exhibition HistoryRichard Serra: Torqued Ellipses and Rounds (Gemini G.E.L. at Joni Moisant Weyl, New York) 1999-2000. TMA New Acquisitions in Graphic Arts, Dec. 21, 2001-March 30, 2002 Displayed upstairs (Gallery 4) 2001