From Start to Finish: De Wain Valentine’s Gray Column, 2011 (29 min)
directed by ERIK BARNES and DANIEL DESURE
produced by Commonwealth Projects and The Getty Conservation Institute

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If you happen to be in Paris over the next few days, make sure to catch the current exhibition at Almine Rech Gallery which features until June 7 a show of sculpture and painting by DE WAIN VALENTINE (b. 1936). Additionally I really recommend to watch From Start to Finish: De Wain Valentine’s Gray Column, a short documentary about the making and restoration of VALENTINE’s art. 

Inspired by the sky, and the light of California, DE WAIN VALENTINE is best known for making gigantic minimalist translucent resin sculptures in a variety of geometric shapes in the 1960s and 1970s. After 40 years, Gray Column (1975-76), one of the last and largest polyester pieces he made, needed to be restored. The 30-minute documentary video not only recounts the fascinating story behind the making of Gray Column but also reveals the challenges involved in the restoration of Contemporary Art.