Guide to Place (1959) (Robyn Denny, Ralph Rumney, Richard Smith)

“Place is not an exhibition of the work of three painters in the accepted sense, neither is it an experiment in arranging paintings nor an exercise in exhibition design. Place is a collaborative expression of certain ideas common to the three painters on the relationship between painting and the spectator”. Featuring the work of Robyn Denny, Ralph Rumney, Richard Smith, the exhibition was notable for its experimental approach, including the decision to display the large, uniformly sized paintings directly on the ground. This method anticipated later developments in sculpture and installation art. Coleman’s catalogue essay outlined the conceptual framework of the exhibition, discussing the agreed-upon “rules” that the participating artists followed. These included standardized canvas sizes and a limited color palette, aiming to create a unified visual experience and to serve as cues for the spectator. Single folded sheet. Condition: some light handling marks, otherwise very good.