SPENCER FINCH
Study for Goldberg Variation 13, 2020
Fluorescent fixtures and filters (2 x 4’ fixtures)
48 x 4 x 3 in.
121.9 x 10.2 x 7.6 cm
JCG11707
SPENCER FINCH
Paths through the studio, 1/27/20-1/31/20, II
2020
Pastel on paper
24 x 17 in. each
61 x 43.2 cm each
installation dimensions variable
JCG11467
SPENCER FINCH
Following a Bee (Zinnias)
2020
pastel and pencil on paper
45 1/2 x 60 in
115.6 x 152.4 cm
JCG11376
SPENCER FINCH
Study for Time Square (April 27, 2003, 10pm)
2019 Fluorescent fixture and filter
2 x 48 x 2 in
5.1 x 121.9 x 5.1 cm
JCG11249
SPENCER FINCH
Shield of Achilles (Dawn, Troy, 10/27/02)
2020
Fluorescent fixtures and filters (32 - 3ft fixtures)
Dimensions variable, approximately 9’ diameter
JCG11084
SPENCER FINCH
Following a Bee
2019
Pastel and pencil on paper
30 1/4 x 44 in.
76.8 x 111.8 cm
JCG11193
SPENCER FINCH
Color Test (133)
2019
LED lightbox, fujitrans
32 x 32 x 4 1/2 in.
81.3 x 81.3 x 11.4 cm
JCG11240
SPENCER FINCH
Bamboo Grove (Arashiyama, afternoon effect, May 23, 2017)
2019
Fluorescent fixtures and filters
Dimensions variable.
Approx. 76 x 156 inches
JCG11098
SPENCER FINCH
Falling Cherry Blossom (16)
2019
watercolor on paper
dimensions variable
JCG10461
SPENCER FINCH
Cloud (Cumulus Humilis, Antwerp)
2019
Scotch tape on matboard
22 x 30 in
55.9 x 76.2 cm
(JCG10514)
SPENCER FINCH
Western Mystery (She sweeps with many-colored Brooms) #6
2019
Yarn collaged to paper
22 x 30 in
55.9 x 76.2 cm
JCG10439
SPENCER FINCH
Color Test (225)
2019
LED lightbox, Fujitrans
42 x 42 in
106.7 x 106.7 cm
JCG10421
SPENCER FINCH
The Outer — from the Inner (Emily Dickinson’s bedroom, dusk)
2018
Archival inkjet photographs
15 1/2 x 15 1/2 in.
Framed: 17.5 x 17.5 x 1.5 in. (373.4 x 44.5 x 3.8 cm)
Edition of 5, 1 AP
JCG10180
SPENCER FINCH
Western Mystery (She sweeps with many-colored Brooms) #1
2018
Yarn collaged to paper
29 3/4 x 41 1/4 in.
Framed: 32 ⅝ x 44 ⅛ x 2 in. (82.9 x 112.1 x 5 cm)
JCG10183
SPENCER FINCH
Falling Leaf (hickory)
2018
Watercolor on paper
32 x 16 in
JCG10188
SPENCER FINCH
Study for Kepler 186
2017
Fluorescent fixtures and filters
48 x 2 x 2 in.
121.9 x 5.1 x 5.1 cm
Edition of 2 (#2/2)
JCG9453
SPENCER FINCH
The Garden in The Brain
2017
Comissioned for Brown University,
Providence, Rhode Island
SPENCER FINCH
The Garden in The Brain
2017
Comissioned for Brown University,
Providence, Rhode Island
SPENCER FINCH
The Garden in The Brain
2017
Comissioned for Brown University,
Providence, Rhode Island
SPENCER FINCH
The Garden in The Brain
2017
Comissioned for Brown University,
Providence, Rhode Island
SPENCER FINCH
The Garden in The Brain
2017
Comissioned for Brown University,
Providence, Rhode Island
SPENCER FINCH
The Garden in The Brain
2017
Comissioned for Brown University,
Providence, Rhode Island
SPENCER FINCH
The Garden in The Brain
2017
Comissioned for Brown University,
Providence, Rhode Island
SPENCER FINCH
The Garden in The Brain
2017
Comissioned for Brown University,
Providence, Rhode Island
SPENCER FINCH
The Garden in The Brain
2017
Comissioned for Brown University,
Providence, Rhode Island
SPENCER FINCH
The Garden in The Brain
2017
Comissioned for Brown University,
Providence, Rhode Island
SPENCER FINCH
Great Salt Lake and Vicinity (Pantone study)
2017
Pantone collage
47 5/8 x 40 3/4 in.
121 x 103.5 cm
JCG9447
SPENCER FINCH
Great Salt Lake and VIcinity
2017
1,132 ready-made Pantone chips and pencil
Installed at Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Salt Lake City Utah, Utah, 2017
Photography courtesy of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts
SPENCER FINCH
Great Salt Lake and VIcinity
2017
1,132 ready-made Pantone chips and pencil
Installed at Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Salt Lake City Utah, Utah, 2017
Photography courtesy the Utah Museum of Fine Arts
SPENCER FINCH
Great Salt Lake and VIcinity
2017
1,132 ready-made Pantone chips and pencil
Installed at Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Salt Lake City Utah, Utah, 2017
Photography courtesy of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts
SPENCER FINCH
The Western Mystery
2017
Installed at the Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle Museum of Art, Seattle, Washington
On view: April 2017 - March 2018
SPENCER FINCH
Lost Man Creek
Installed at MetroTech Commons, Brooklyn, New York
On view: October 2016 - March 2018
SPENCER FINCH
Lost Man Creek
Installed at MetroTech Commons, Brooklyn, New York
On view: October 2016 - March 2018
SPENCER FINCH
Nocturne #2
2017
LED lightbox, Fujitrans
35 x 48 x 5 in.
88.9 x 121.9 x 12.7 cm
JCG9044
SPENCER FINCH
Bauhaus Light (Kandinsky’s Studio/ Klee’s Studio, afternoon effect)
2016
Fluorescent fixtures and filters
48 x 8 in.
101.6 x 20.3 cm
SPENCER FINCH
Bauhaus Light (Kandinsky's Studio/ Klee's Studio, afternoon effect) Detail
2016
SPENCER FINCH
Newton’s Theory of Color and Music (Goldberg Variations)
2016
LED tubes, fixtures, filters, and electrical cables
Dimensions variable
Installed at Steinway & Sons, New York
SPENCER FINCH
Thank You, Fog
2016
85 glass panels, aircraft cable, muted grey walls
Exhibition view at James Cohan Gallery, New York, 2016
SPENCER FINCH
Thank You, Fog Detail
2016
SPENCER FINCH
Yellowstone Hike
2016
340 ready-made Pantone chips, pencil
Dimensions variable
SPENCER FINCH
Yellowstone Hike detail
2016
SPENCER FINCH
Following a Bee
2016
pastel and pencil on paper
30 x 42 inches
76.2 x 106.7 cm
JCG9688
SPENCER FINCH
Nocturne #1
2015
Fujitrans and LED lightbox
49 1/2 x 67 in.
125.7 x 170.2 cm
JCG8079
SPENCER FINCH
Light in an Empty Room (Studio Wall at Night)
2015
SPENCER FINCH
Sunset (Central Park)
2015
solar powered ice cream truck.
Installation view, Drifting in Daylight, Central Park, 2015
SPENCER FINCH
Sunset (Central Park)
2015
solar powered ice cream truck
Installation view, Drifting in Daylight, Central Park, 2015
SPENCER FINCH
A Certain Slant of Light: Spencer Finch at the Morgan
June 20, 2014 - January 11, 2015 © The Morgan Library & Museum
Photography by Graham S. Haber, 2014
Artwork © Spencer Finch, 2014
SPENCER FINCH
A Certain Slant of Light: Spencer Finch at the Morgan
June 20, 2014 - January 11, 2015 © The Morgan Library & Museum
Photography by Graham S. Haber, 2014
Artwork © Spencer Finch, 2014
SPENCER FINCH
A Certain Slant of Light: Spencer Finch at the Morgan
June 20, 2014 - January 11, 2015 © The Morgan Library & Museum
Photography by Graham S. Haber, 2014
Artwork © Spencer Finch, 2014
SPENCER FINCH
Trying to Remember the Color of the Sky on That September Morning
2014
Commission for National September 11 Memorial and Museum
Photo: Ofer Wolberger
SPENCER FINCH
Trying to Remember the Color of the Sky on That September Morning
2014
Commission for National September 11 Memorial and Museum
Photo: Ofer Wolberger
SPENCER FINCH
Trying to Remember the Color of the Sky on That September Morning
2014
Commission for National September 11 Memorial and Museum
Photo: Ofer Wolberger
SPENCER FINCH
Trying to Remember the Color of the Sky on That September Morning
2014
Commission for National September 11 Memorial and Museum
Photo: Ofer Wolberger
SPENCER FINCH
Trying to Remember the Color of the Sky on That September Morning Detail
2014
Commission for National September 11 Memorial and Museum
Photo: Ofer Wolberger
SPENCER FINCH
Trying to Remember the Color of the Sky on That September Morning Detail
2014
Commission for National September 11 Memorial and Museum
Photo: Ofer Wolberger
SPENCER FINCH
Cloud (cumulus fractus, Massachusetts, E.D.)
2014
Scotch tape on paper
19 3/4 x 25 1/2 in. (sheet), 21 5/8 x 27 1/2 in. (framed)
50.2 x 64.8 cm (sheet), 54.9 x 69.9 cm (framed)
JCG6943
SPENCER FINCH
Sun (over the Sahara Desert, 1/2/11)
2013
Powder-coated steel and fluorescent light
Diameter: 110 in.
279.4 cm
JCG6373
SPENCER FINCH
The Garden of Eden (All the Colors in my Paintbox)
2013
Watercolor on paper
50 3/4 x 68 in.
128.9 x 152.4 cm
All the watercolors in the artist’s paintbox were applied horizontally and then vertically in alphabetical order. The colors formed where the lines overlap were then matched against colors from Maerz & Paul’s Dictionary of Color (1930) and their names were recorded in pencil on the drawing.
JCG6421
SPENCER FINCH
The Garden of Eden ( All the Colors in my Paintbox) Detail
2013
Watercolor on paper
50 3/4 x 68 in.
128.9 x 152.4 cm
All the watercolors in the artist’s paintbox were applied horizontally and then vertically in alphabetical order. The colors formed where the lines overlap were then matched against colors from Maerz & Paul’s Dictionary of Color (1930) and their names were recorded in pencil on the drawing.
JCG6421
SPENCER FINCH
Cloud (cumulus fractus, Brooklyn)
2014
Scotch tape on paper
19 3/4 x 25 1/2 in. (sheet) 21 5/8 x 27 1/2 in. (framed)
50.2 x 64.8 cm (sheet) 54.9 x 69.9 cm (framed)
JCG9848
SPENCER FINCH
Cloud (cumulus congestus, Spain)
2014
Scotch tape on paper
19 3/4 x 25 1/2 in. (sheet), 21 5/8 x 27 1/2 in. (framed)
50.2 x 64.8 cm (sheet), 54.9 x 69.9 cm (framed)
JCG6956
SPENCER FINCH
Following Nature
2013
Installation at the Indianapolis Museum of Art
SPENCER FINCH
Following Nature
2013
Installation at the Indianapolis Museum of Art
SPENCER FINCH
Following Nature
2013
Installation at the Indianapolis Museum of Art
SPENCER FINCH
Atlantic Ocean (Coney Island)
2014 LED lightbox with Fujitrans filter
37 x 46 x 5 in.
94 x 116.8 x 12.7 cm
A light box from which the light emitted precisely matches the light at Coney Island, Brooklyn, on June 19th, 2013 from 12:02-12:08 PM.
JCG7013
SPENCER FINCH
Color Test (360)
2014
LED lightbox, Fujitrans
30 x 30 x 4 1/2 in.
76.2 x 76.2 x 11.4 cm
Color Test (360), 2013 consists of a light box confronting the viewer with an overwhelming abundance of colors. In a process comparable to the mixing of pigments on a painter’s palette, Finch filters the “neutral” white emanating from the light box with two layers of translucent film imprinted with an irregular checkerboard pattern in different hues. The result, a total of 360different individual color variations, calls into question the limitations of visual perception and differentiation. Indeed, it is unclear how many colors the human eye can discriminate. The Optical Society of America estimates between 7.5–10 million, while other scientists maintain that effectively no more than 180 hues can be distinguished.
JCG6920
SPENCER FINCH
Winter Light, Paris - Dusk
2013
LED lightbox, Fujitrans
48 x 48 x 5 in.
121.9 x 121.9 x 12.7 cm
JCG6355
SPENCER FINCH
Walden Pond (surface/depth)
2013
Rope, cloth, twine, 298 watercolors on watercolor paper
120 feet long
Inspired by Henry David Thoreau's soundings of Walden Pond, the artist surveyed the pond over two days in a row-boat, recording location, depth and surface color at 298 different points.
SPENCER FINCH
Walden Pond (surface/depth)
2013
Rope, cloth, twine, 298 watercolors on watercolor paper
120 feet long
Inspired by Henry David Thoreau's soundings of Walden Pond, the artist surveyed the pond over two days in a row-boat, recording location, depth and surface color at 298 different points.
SPENCER FINCH
Shield of Achilles (Dawn, Troy, 10/27/02)
2013
Florescent fixtures and filters
Dimensions variable, approximately 11' diameter
The Shield of Achilles, famously described in a passage of Homer's Iliad, was created by Hephaestus at the request of Thetis, mother of Achilles. The ornate shield is a physical depiction of the entire world and was used by Achilles in his battle with Hector at Troy. The artist travelled to Troy in 2002 and measured the light at dawn. This special light is reproduced through filtered fluorescent lamps.
SPENCER FINCH
Painting Air
2012
Glass, hardware, wall painting
Dimensions variable
Installation at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, Providence, RI
Based on Claude Monet’s pond at Giverny.
SPENCER FINCH
Shield of Achilles (Dawn, Troy, 10/27/02) Detail
2013
Florescent fixtures and filters
Dimensions variable, approximately 11' diameter
The Shield of Achilles, famously described in a passage of Homer's Iliad, was created by Hephaestus at the request of Thetis, mother of Achilles. The ornate shield is a physical depiction of the entire world and was used by Achilles in his battle with Hector at Troy. The artist travelled to Troy in 2002 and measured the light at dawn. This special light is reproduced through filtered fluorescent lamps.
SPENCER FINCH
Painting Air
2012
Glass, hardware, wall painting
Dimensions variable
Installation at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, Providence, RI
Based on Claude Monet’s pond at Giverny.
SPENCER FINCH
Painting Air
2012
Glass, hardware, wall painting
Dimensions variable
Installation at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, Providence, RI
Based on Claude Monet’s pond at Giverny.
SPENCER FINCH
Painting Air
2012
Glass, hardware, wall painting
Dimensions variable
Installation at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, Providence, RI
Based on Claude Monet’s pond at Giverny.
SPENCER FINCH
Paths Through the Studio
2012
Oil pastel on paper
21 drawings, each framed: 33 x 32 3/4 x 1 1/2 in.
83.8 x 83.2 x 3.8 cm
SPENCER FINCH
Rain on the Studio Window (2/29/12)
2012
Optically clear photograph
44 1/2 x 35 3/4 in.
113 x 90.8 cm
SPENCER FINCH
John Hopkins Hospital
2011
Colored panes of glass
Dimensions variable
This is a facade design project for the Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore. The design is based on studies of reflection and absorption of natural colors in water. The final composition is abstract but references both the pigment selection and the play between surface and depth of a Monet water lily painting of a reflection of a wisteria tree. The final work consists of 26 different colors and 25,000 square meters of the exterior of the building.
SPENCER FINCH
John Hopkins Hospital
2011
Colored panes of glass
Dimensions variable
This is a facade design project for the Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore. The design is based on studies of reflection and absorption of natural colors in water. The final composition is abstract but references both the pigment selection and the play between surface and depth of a Monet water lily painting of a reflection of a wisteria tree. The final work consists of 26 different colors and 25,000 square meters of the exterior of the building.
SPENCER FINCH
Lunar
2011
Two solar panels with charger, light-emitting diodes, and lamp fixture, lead, aluminum, stainless steel, and polycarbonate
11' 4" x 16' 8" x 11' 6"
Created for the Art Institute of Chicago, this sculpture harnesses the power of the sun, gathering energy during the day and releasing that energy as moonlight after dark. The exact temperature of the light emitted from this work is based on measurements taken during the July 2011 full moon in Chicago.
SPENCER FINCH
49 Years Ago (Starlight)
2011
Fluorescent lamps, fixtures, filters, aluminum
Diameter: 9 feet
SPENCER FINCH
49 Years Ago (Starlight) Detail
2011
Fluorescent lamps, fixtures, filters, aluminum
Diameter: 9 feet
SPENCER FINCH
Between the Moon and the Sea
2010
Water, wood, balloon light
Dimensions variable
This work creates an environment for viewing the reflection of an artificial moon.
SPENCER FINCH
Between the Moon and the Sea
2010
Water, wood, balloon light
Dimensions variable
SPENCER FINCH
Passing Cloud (394 L Street NW, Washington, DC, July 20, 2010)
2010
Light fixtures, filters, monofilament, and clothespins
Dimensions variable
This work precisely re-creates the light of a passing cloud at the street corner in Washington D.C. where Walt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln passed each other regularly during the summer of 1863. Installation at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
SPENCER FINCH
Passing Cloud (394 L Street NW, Washington, DC, July 20, 2010)
2010
Light fixtures, filters, monofilament, and clothespins
Dimensions variable
This work precisely re-creates the light of a passing cloud at the street corner in Washington D.C. where Walt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln passed each other regularly during the summer of 1863. Installation at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
SPENCER FINCH
The River That Flows Both Ways
2009
700 colored panes of glass
120 x 12 feet
The High Line, New York, NY
This project transforms an existing series of windows with 700 individual panes of glass representing the water conditions on the Hudson River over a period of 700 minutes in a single day.
SPENCER FINCH
The River That Flows Both Ways
2009
700 colored panes of glass
120 x 12 feet
The High Line, New York, NY
This project transforms an existing series of windows with 700 individual panes of glass representing the water conditions on the Hudson River over a period of 700 minutes in a single day.
SPENCER FINCH
Moon Dust (Apollo 17)
2009
150 light fixtures and 417 incandescent bulbs
Dimensions variable
The hanging light piece represents precisely the chemical composition of moon dust, that was analyzed on the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
SPENCER FINCH
Moon Dust (Apollo 17)
2009
150 light fixtures and 417 incandescent bulbs
Dimensions variable
The hanging light piece represents precisely the chemical composition of moon dust, that was analyzed on the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
SPENCER FINCH
Sunset (St. Louis, July 31, 2008)
2008
Solar powered panels, soft serve ice cream machine, ice cream cones, ice cream
Dimensions variable
SPENCER FINCH
Sunset (St. Louis, July 31, 2008)
2008
Solar powered panels, soft serve ice cream machine, ice cream cones, ice cream
Dimensions variable
SPENCER FINCH
Sunset (St. Louis, July 31, 2008)
2008
Solar powered panels, soft serve ice cream machine, ice cream cones, ice cream
Dimensions variable
SPENCER FINCH
Sunset (St. Louis, July 31, 2008)
2008
Solar powered panels, soft serve ice cream machine, ice cream cones, ice cream
Dimensions variable
SPENCER FINCH
Sky (Over Franz Joseph Glacier, April 8, 2008, 10:40am)
2008
Ice, dye, water, freezer, mixed media
Dimensions variable
Based on a series of observations of the azure sky above Franz Joseph Glacier in New Zealand, this installation that not only replicates the physical activities of this natural phenomenon, but also produces a pure monochrome painting the color of the sky. The water in the pool is dyed to precisely match the color of the sky and then the overflow from the pool is frozen into ice cubes that are deposited into the chute, which in turn melt into the pool, creating a closed system of melting and freezing blue water.
SPENCER FINCH
Sky (Over Franz Joseph Glacier, April 8, 2008, 10:40am)
2008
Ice, dye, water, freezer, mixed media
Dimensions variable
Based on a series of observations of the azure sky above Franz Joseph Glacier in New Zealand, this installation that not only replicates the physical activities of this natural phenomenon, but also produces a pure monochrome painting the color of the sky. The water in the pool is dyed to precisely match the color of the sky and then the overflow from the pool is frozen into ice cubes that are deposited into the chute, which in turn melt into the pool, creating a closed system of melting and freezing blue water.
SPENCER FINCH
CIE 529/418 (candlelight)
2007
Sandblasted glass
Dimensions variable
This room-size stained glass installation shifts the color of the exterior sunlight to the color of candlelight inside the gallery. The title refers to the technical reading of candlelight on the CIE (Committee Internationale d’Eclairage) scale.
SPENCER FINCH
CIE 529/418 (candlelight)
2007
Sandblasted glass
Dimensions variable
This room-size stained glass installation shifts the color of the exterior sunlight to the color of candlelight inside the gallery. The title refers to the technical reading of candlelight on the CIE (Committee Internationale d’Eclairage) scale.
SPENCER FINCH
Shade (at the grave of Walt Whitman October 19,2006, 10:15 am)
2006
Fluorescent light box and filters
104 x 51 x 8 in.
264.2 x 129.5 x 20.3 cm
Filter colors based on text of “Leaves of Grass”
SPENCER FINCH
Shade (at the grave of Walt Whitman October 19,2006, 10:15 am) Detail
2006
Fluorescent light box and filters
104 x 51 x 8 in.
264.2 x 129.5 x 20.3 cm
Filter colors based on text of “Leaves of Grass”
SPENCER FINCH
White (Niagara Falls obscured by mist, April 17th, 2006 5:30pm)
2006
Fluorescent light box with laminated filters
20 x 8 feet
SPENCER FINCH
White (Niagara Falls obscured by mist, April 17th, 2006 5:30pm) Detail
2006
Fluorescent light box with laminated filters
20 x 8 feet
SPENCER FINCH
Night Sky, Over the Painted Desert, Arizona, 1/9/04, 2004
2004
85 fixtures and 401 Incandescent Bulbs
Dimensions variable
SPENCER FINCH
Night Sky, Over the Painted Desert, Arizona, 1/9/04, 2004
2004
85 fixtures and 401 Incandescent Bulbs
Dimensions variable
SPENCER FINCH
Paris/Texas 2003
2003
Sandblasted stained glass
Glass: 12 x 28 feet (Dimensions variable)
France at dusk on January 8, 2003
installation at ArtPace, San Antonio, TX
SPENCER FINCH
Darkness (Artist’s Studio, October, 2003)
2003
Each: 11 x 10 in.
27.9 x 25.4 cm
This work comprises twenty-eight drawings of nightly observations made over a month’s time.
SPENCER FINCH
Trying to Remember the Color of Jackie Kennedy’s Pillbox Hat Detail
1994
Series of 100
11 x 9 in. (each)
27.9 x 22.9 cm (each)
pastel on paper
Inspired in part by the range of recollections of John F. Kennedy's assassination recounted in the Warren Commission Report, these drawings are an attempt to remember the precise color of the hat the first lady wore on that November day.
SPENCER FINCH
Trying to Remember the Color of Jackie Kennedy’s Pillbox Hat Detail
1994
Series of 100
11 x 9 in. (each)
27.9 x 22.9 cm (each)
pastel on paper
Inspired in part by the range of recollections of John F. Kennedy's assassination recounted in the Warren Commission Report, these drawings are an attempt to remember the precise color of the hat the first lady wore on that November day.
SPENCER FINCH
Trying to Remember the Color of Jackie Kennedy’s Pillbox Hat Detail
1994
Series of 100
11 x 9 in. (each)
27.9 x 22.9 cm (each)
pastel on paper.
Inspired in part by the range of recollections of John F. Kennedy's assassination recounted in the Warren Commission Report, these drawings are an attempt to remember the precise color of the hat the first lady wore on that November day.
