#ArchitecturalSubversion

[arthistoriansdiary]

Splitting

Gordon Matta-Clark, Splitting (1974). Super-8 film, black-and-white and colour, silent, 10:50 min., transferred to video.

Gordon Matta-Clark, trained as an architect at Cornell University, transitioned into an artist renowned for his transformative interventions into derelict urban spaces. Splitting (1974) stands as one of his pioneering works, where he sliced a suburban New Jersey house in two, creating a radical sculptural environment that challenged traditional notions of architecture and space.

A Monumental Act of Subversion: In the economically depressed and crime-ridden New York City of the 1970s, abandoned buildings were abundant. Matta-Clark's artistic vision led him to explore these neglected structures, seeking to unearth hidden narratives and possibilities within them. Splitting emerged from this exploration, as he received permission from art dealer Holly Solomon to carve into her suburban New Jersey house, slated for demolition.

The Artistic Process Unveiled: With the assistance of craftsman Manfred Hecht and other helpers, Matta-Clark executed his audacious plan. Using a power saw, they bifurcated the house, meticulously jacking up one side to create a slender central gap, allowing sunlight to filter into the newly revealed spaces. The resulting sculptural environment disrupted conventional architectural forms, inviting viewers to reconsider their relationship with built environments.

Revealing New Vistas and Passages: Matta-Clark's "cuttings" series, including Splitting, challenged the established boundaries of architecture, merging traditional sculptural elements with contemporary concerns of urban decay and social structures. By slicing shapes into walls and floors, he transformed stagnant spaces into dynamic vistas, liberating individuals from suburban isolation and revealing the hidden layers of domesticity.

The Temporal Nature of Artistic Intervention: Despite its monumental impact, Splitting was destined to be ephemeral. Demolished three months later to make way for new apartments, it exists now primarily through documentation: photographs, sketches, an artist's book, and a film capturing the transformative act of architectural-sculptural performance. Matta-Clark's legacy lives on not only in the physical remnants of his interventions but also in the enduring dialogue they provoke about the nature of art and space.

Unravelling Spatial Perspectives: How does Gordon Matta-Clark's Splitting challenge your perceptions of architecture and space, and what implications does it hold for contemporary discussions about urban development and artistic intervention?