Rosemary Mayer: Ways of Attaching
Curated by Eva Birkenstock
Ludwig Forum for International Art, Aachen
5 March – 22 May 2022
Ways of Attaching is the first institutional survey exhibition by the American artist Rosemary Mayer (1943-2014). The exhibition provides extensive insights into Mayer’s body of work over four decades: ranging from early conceptual experiments of the late 1960s, to textile sculptures and drawings made in the early 1970s, to ‘temporary monuments’ from 1977-1982. Ludwig Forum’s expanded presentation also includes Mayer’s artist’s books from the mid-1970s, sculptures and works on paper from the 1990s, and book illustrations from the 2000s; all of these have not been exhibited since they were made. Highlighting Mayer’s formal interest in draping, knotting, and tethering, the exhibition focuses on the artist’s process of constructing real and imagined networks and constellations in which friends and historical figures feature in expressions of affinity and attachment.
Ways of Attaching at Ludwig Forum Aachen is the most comprehensive presentation of Rosemary Mayer’s artistic practice to date. Along with her late work, the exhibition comprises all the artist’s preserved textile sculptures, including three prominent ones named after historical female figures: Hroswitha, The Catherines, and Galla Placidia. Originally created in 1972-73 for Mayer’s solo exhibition at the now legendary A.I.R. Gallery, they have been brought together again for the first time since then.
Rosemary Mayer, Ways of Attaching, Installation view at Ludwig Forum, Aachen, 2022; Courtesy of the Estate of Rosemary Mayer & ChertLüdde, Berlin
Rosemary Mayer, Hypsipyle, 1973; Ways of Attaching, Installation view at Ludwig Forum, Aachen, 2022; Satin, rayon, nylon, cheesecloth, nylon netting, ribbon, dyes, wood, and acrylic paint, 121.9 × 274.3 × 15.2 cm; Courtesy of the Estate of Rosemary Mayer & ChertLüdde, Berlin
Rosemary Mayer, Untitled Satin & Paint, 1970-1975; Ways of Attaching, Installation view at Ludwig Forum, Aachen, 2022; Acrylic paint on satin and string, 122 × 183 cm; Courtesy of the Estate of Rosemary Mayer & ChertLüdde, Berlin
Rosemary Mayer, Balancing, 1972; Ways of Attaching, Installation view at Ludwig Forum, Aachen, 2022; Rayons, cheesecloth, cord, and acrylic rods, 320 × 275 × 10 cm; Courtesy of the Estate of Rosemary Mayer & ChertLüdde, Berlin
Rosemary Mayer, Hroswitha, 1973; Ways of Attaching, Installation view at Ludwig Forum, Aachen, 2022; Flannel, rayon, nylon netting, fiberglass rayon, ribbon, dyes, wood, acrylic paint, 295 × 340 × 173 cm; Courtesy of the Estate of Rosemary Mayer & ChertLüdde, Berlin
Rosemary Mayer, The Catherines, 1973; Ways of Attaching, Installation view at Ludwig Forum, Aachen, 2022; Nylon, cheesecloth, pellon, fiberglas rayon, ribbon, wood, dyes, bleach, acrylic paint, 294.6 × 121.9 × 121.9 cm; Courtesy of the Estate of Rosemary Mayer & ChertLüdde, Berlin
Rosemary Mayer, Galla Placidia, 1973; Ways of Attaching, Installation view at Ludwig Forum, Aachen, 2022; Satin, rayon, nylon, cheesecloth, nylon netting, ribbon, dyes, wood, and acrylic paint, 275 × 305 × 150 cm; Courtesy of the Estate of Rosemary Mayer & ChertLüdde, Berlin
Rosemary Mayer, The Locrian Mode, 1974-5; Ways of Attaching, Installation view at Ludwig Forum, Aachen, 2022; Wood, cord, oil paint, 244 × 122 × 427 cm; Courtesy of the Estate of Rosemary Mayer & ChertLüdde, Berlin
Photos by Mareike Tocha.