7. Takis and the Fourth Dimension

Introduction

Takis is known for his investigations into the relationship between art and science. His earliest works include bronze forms focused on concepts of force and volume. Later he began his ongoing Signaux series with the development of wind-activated antenna-like structures inspired by radio and radar apparatuses. In the late 1950s he began including magnetism in his paintings and sculptures, employing electromagnets to fix objects in space, generate motion, and elicit sound. A common thread in Takis’s work is an element of aesthetic disinterest in prioritization of concept. This is evident in his experimental use of found objects, unconventional materials, and aggregate technologies and mechanics.

A curatorial research project prompted the Menil conservation department to take a closer look at Takis’s works in the collection. This interdepartmental collaboration in turn led to an interview with the artist and treatment of several of his works in preparation for the exhibition Takis: The Fourth Dimension (2015). Takis’s frequent experimentation, combined with the inherent imperfections and inevitable obsolescence of his materials, necessitated ongoing conversations with the artist regarding the relationship between his artistic vision and the practical requirements of exhibiting such works.

Takis

On the afternoon of January 3, 1969, Takis and a group of his peers walked into the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, collected one of his works on display, and carried it into the museum garden, where they staged a sit-in.¹ This event was to protest the piece being included in the exhibition The Machine as Seen at the End of the Mechanical Age. John and Dominique de Menil had donated the work to MoMA, and the museum, as owner, had the right to exhibit the work at its discretion. However, Takis felt the piece did not represent his current aesthetic and believed he should have control over its display, regardless of who owned it. The purpose of his demonstration was to prompt open dialogue between “museum directors, artists, and the public” regarding museum policy and artists’ rights. Ultimately, MoMA agreed to remove the piece from the exhibition, and the event served as a catalyst for the formation of the Art Workers’ Coalition—a group of creatives, critics, and museum staff that campaigned for museum reform, particularly in regards to artists’ rights (Citation: Lippard 1970 [Lippard, Lucy. 1970. “The Art Workers’ Coalition: Not a History.” Studio International 180, no. 927 (November): 171–74.]).

Takis left New York a few months later, but the ripple effect his actions had on the arts community was profound. This story is an effective example of his character and illustrates the strength of his conviction regarding the treatment and display of his artwork.

Takis was born Panagiotis Vassilakis in Athens in 1925, during a time of political strife in Greece. His family was poor and was forced to endure an oppressive dictatorship, the Axis occupation during World War II, and a catastrophic civil war. Takis was intelligent and motivated from an early age, but lacked the means for a formal education. He taught himself by reading about subjects such as science, mythology, philosophy, religion, poetry, and the arts. Seeing the work of artists such as Giacometti and Picasso led him to the decision to become an artist—a choice that resulted in a long and prolific career of inspired manifestations of the subjects he studied (Citation: Takis, Jouffroy, and Hoctin 1964 [Takis, Alain Jouffroy, and Luce Hoctin. 1964. Takis: Dix ans de sculpture, 1954–1964. New York: A. Iolas.]).

Now more than ninety years old, Takis is still expanding the depth and breadth of his oeuvre. Once he adopts a new idea or technique he will adapt and incorporate it into his work as he reconsiders the forces around him. As a result, the transitions throughout his career are complicated to define and even harder to see.

General points of differentiation can be applied to Takis’s work to provide some sense of structure to his development (Citation: Galerie Alexandre Iolas and Clay 1966 [Galerie Alexandre Iolas (Paris, France), and Jean Clay. 1966. Takis. New York: A. Iolas.]). His earliest pieces were experimentations in plaster reminiscent of Giacometti’s elongated forms. In 1954 he moved to Paris, where he came into contact with artists, including Yves Klein, Jean Tinguely, and Alexander Calder. He began forging, welding, and casting in metal on a much smaller scale in comparison to his previous plaster works, and he enjoyed the way the harder materials resisted manipulation (Citation: Takis, E. Calas, and N. Calas 1984 [Takis, Elena Calas, and Nicolas Calas. 1984. Takis: Monographies. Paris: Editions Galilée.]). His iron works were angular, with influences of Egyptian forms, religion, and mythology. His bronze Fleurs and Espace Intérieurs series represented the ideas of metamorphosis, fetishes, and idols.

The study and application of scientific principles are key elements in the development of Takis’s work. He created his first Signaux—commonly referred to by the English translation of Signals—in response to the visible and invisible forces of train signals, radar, and other navigation and communication systems (Citation: Takis, E. Calas, and N. Calas 1984 [Takis, Elena Calas, and Nicolas Calas. 1984. Takis: Monographies. Paris: Editions Galilée.]). The reedlike structures topped with fine wires and small objects were meant to sway and touch, giving sight and sound to the invisible energies of wind and other unseen forces. Sometimes he performed happenings by exploding the elements on top of his Signals in public spaces to create a dynamic and cathartic display and release of energy. Over time his Signals increased in size and complexity to include more intricate mechanics and electrical elements.

The year 1958 was pivotal for Takis because he began incorporating magnets in his work—devices he utilized consistently in his career from that point forward. Magnetics are the ideal representation of the invisible forces of the unseen fourth dimension. In 1968 and 1969 he continued working with magnets as an artist-in-residence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Advanced Visual Studies.² The program encouraged artists to merge science and art for creative expression and technological advancement. Takis used electromagnetic forces to hold liquids in suspension and invented a work called Oscillation of the Sea (1968) that was able to translate the motion of bodies of water into kinetic energy.

Takis also uses magnets to incorporate sound into his artworks. In 1963 he collaborated with composer Earle Brown to create Sound of Void (Citation: Takis, E. Calas, and N. Calas 1984 [Takis, Elena Calas, and Nicolas Calas. 1984. Takis: Monographies. Paris: Editions Galilée.]), a musical piece that used electromagnetic waves to activate mechanics that produced repetitive sound. Sound of Void was the earliest iteration of Takis’s musical works and eventually led to his ongoing Sculptures Musicales, which also employ electromagnets as the driving force behind the production of sound.

Takis’s use of magnets is one of the most complex and diverse aspects of his artwork. Alain Jouffroy called two of Takis’s most developed and prevalent magnetic series Télé-Peintures and Télé-Sculptures, also known as Murs Magnetiques and Ballet Magnetiques. Works in the Murs Magnetiques series are frequently described as Magnetic Tableaux and consist of two distinct features. The first component is a painted canvas with varying types and numbers of magnets fixed to the wooden strainer. The second component consists of elements connected to a string or wire and attached to a fixed point across from the painting. The elements are positioned over the magnets so they float just off the surface of the canvas; they are held in stationary suspension by their attraction to the magnets. The resulting space between the elements and the canvas contains and illustrates the energy that is the primary focus of the work. The canvases are often painted in a single color from the restricted palette of black, white, red, and yellow because Takis feels the colors are associated with power and have the ability to convey energy. The Ballets Magnetiques series encompasses a diverse set of works, but their general construction consists of an electromagnet base with elements suspended above that are forced into motion by attraction or repulsion to the magnet. It was a work from this series that had been donated to MoMA and subsequently pulled from exhibition by Takis in 1969.

Takis is well known in much of Europe, having lived and worked most of his life in France and Greece, but his work is less known in the United States. The Menil Collection has the largest institutional body of Takis’s work outside Europe. In 2012 that work became the focus of a collaborative project between the Menil Collection’s conservation and curatorial departments.

Takis at the Menil Collection

In 2012 Melissa Warak, a curatorial fellow at the Menil Collection, included Takis in her research on the relationship between art and music. Her study prompted the conservation department to take a closer look at Menil’s holdings of Takis’s work, most of which, unfortunately, had not been exhibited since the museum opened in 1985. The initial assessment resulted in two conclusions. First, an updated survey was recommended to pinpoint any serious condition issues and prepare for the possibility of treating the work. Second, it became clear that more information was required regarding the proper installation and function of several of the pieces. Two works became the focus of the project: Magnetic Tableau No. 7, from the Magnetic Tableaux series, and Ballet Magnetique, from the eponymous series.

Magnetic Tableau No. 7 was last displayed at the Menil Collection in a 1995 exhibition entitled Defining Space (fig. 7.1). The photograph shows the work installed near one of his Signals. The suspended elements are held at a sharp, upward angle by tethers that were most likely attached to tracks in the high hallway ceiling. A faint copy of an installation diagram, which appeared to be the basis for the 1995 installation, was found in the exhibition files. Unfortunately, there was no way to determine if it was interpreted correctly, and the source of the diagram was unknown. It is labeled, but the numbers and signature are unclear. Research into past exhibitions of similar works in the Magnetic Tableaux series installed at other institutions provided few additional details. The most informative images showed the wires attached to a scaffolding structure across from the painting, which was in direct contrast to the single image from the Menil files.

Even less was known about the installation of Ballet Magnetique because no previous installation or exhibition information was on file. Menil archivists were able to find a single press image of Ballet Magnetique installed in an exhibition entitled For Children at Houston’s Rice University Art Gallery in 1971 (fig. 7.2). To date it is the only known image of the one time the work was shown.

The two works also had condition issues. Magnetic Tableau No. 7 had metallic debris, abrasions, and discolored overpaint around the magnet that drew focus away from the space between the magnet and suspended elements. In addition, the magnet had shifted from a parallel line to a slightly diagonal position. There were abrasions and metallic transfer on the back of the canvas where the magnet used to sit, and an image on file from 1962 showed the magnet in a parallel orientation (fig. 7.3). Ballet Magnetique’s surfaces were abraded and spotted with superficial corrosion, the wires were frayed, and the plug was missing from the power supply cord (fig. 7.4). Temporary replacement of the plug and testing of the work produced sparks and smoke and overheated the selenium rectifier. The work could not be operated long enough to determine if the electromagnet itself still worked.

Artist Interview

At that point a chance encounter took the project in an interesting direction. Maria Kokkori, science fellow from the Art Institute of Chicago, visited the conservation labs and heard about the project. She had been acquainted with Takis since childhood, when her father and the artist ran in the same political and social circles in Greece. This presented a potential opportunity to begin a dialogue with a living artist. Kokkori offered to assist the conservation department by contacting Takis to request an interview. At his advanced age, the artist rarely travels outside Greece, and it was not feasible to conduct an interview remotely. Eventually Takis consented to a meeting in Greece, and Kokkori graciously agreed to assist as an interpreter.

A list of questions from curatorial and conservation points of view was prepared for the interview and Kokkori translated them into Greek. The questions were sent in advance of the interview to Takis and Giorgos Nakoudis, the director of the artist’s research center and the primary liaison between the Menil and Takis. Three of the questions pertaining to conservation and exhibition of the works were most relevant to this project. The first asked about his thought processes and methodology behind his materials, fabrication techniques, and installation methods. The second asked for installation details such as spatial relationships between suspended elements and the placement and angles in relation to the viewer. The third asked about aesthetics in his work and his feelings regarding those visual qualities.

The interview took place at Takis’s direction in July 2013 on the Greek island of Paros, where he was spending part of his summer away from his Athens studio. As many people who work with living artists can attest, the process can be as much of a challenge as it is a privilege. The interview with Takis was no exception. There were several complicating factors, including language barriers and the artist’s apparent disinterest in conservation. Fortunately, the conversation still yielded answers to the three questions mentioned above.

According to Takis, the materials he uses for his suspended and attached elements are found objects that he finds interesting, but they do not carry any special significance. The most important aspect of the work lies in what is unseen. He also feels strongly that exhibitions of his work should always include his musical pieces. The spatial relationships are not extremely important—five, maybe ten centimeters—as long as the suspended elements are close to the magnets. And the elements in his Magnetic Tableaux should be nearly perpendicular to the plane of the painting, rather than at the sharp angle seen in the Menil exhibition photograph (see fig. 7.1). Finally, he did not place particular importance on aesthetic qualities as long as the focus of the work was respected and maintained.

Shortly after the initial interview with Takis, the project began to generate serious curatorial interest. Menil curator Toby Kamps decided to organize an exhibition of the Menil holdings of Takis’s work, and he arranged a follow-up interview with Takis that resulted in the gift of two new artworks to the collection. One was a Sculpture Musicale (figs. 7.5, 7.6), which was the first of its kind to enter the Menil Collection and which fulfilled Takis’s requirement that one of his musical pieces always be included in an exhibition of his work.

With an exhibition imminent, conservation treatment and installation details moved forward, with the majority of the project focused on Magnetic Tableau No. 7 and Ballet Magnetique.

Conservation

The treatment of Magnetic Tableau No. 7 was conservative, to return focus to the space between the magnet and hanging elements without undermining Takis’s opinion regarding aesthetics. First, the magnet was returned to its original parallel position through incremental movements that were followed by localized humidifying action and drying to allow the canvas to adapt to each shift. Layers of foam, blotter, and cotton provided support to the area, and strategically placed twill tape exerted gentle and even pressure. When the magnet was in the correct orientation, two basswood blocks were secured to the cross brace under each side of the magnet to prevent future movement (fig. 7.7).

The rest of the treatment minimized the distracting issues on the front of the canvas. Metallic debris was removed from the surface with the aid of a microscope. Removal of the overpaint risked causing further damage to the original materials, so the discolorations were retouched with ground pastels mixed into dilute methylcellulose, additional dry pastels, and colored pencil.

The kinetic nature of Ballet Magnetique required a more complex and invasive treatment to return the mechanical components to working order. The information Takis supplied during the interviews was taken into consideration for each decision.

Treatment of the work focused on restoring its function, and the abrasions and superficial spots of corrosion were left untreated to respect Takis’s aesthetic detachment. A new circuit-board-format bridge rectifier and heat sink were wired into position and connected to the long pins with crimp connectors. The new configuration was secured with a short screw, using an existing hole in the underside of the base. The original selenium rectifier was retained, although it was removed for the duration of the exhibition. All wire connections were reestablished with twist-on connectors to avoid soldering. Several frayed wires were replaced for safety reasons, but the originals were retained. At that point the electromagnet was turned on for testing, and the springs and bend of the relay coupon were adjusted to get maximum contact when closed and maximum spread when open. Finally, the power cord was replaced by splicing the lead inside the wooden box and adding an electrical-tape stop just inside the inner wall. A thumbwheel actuator was added for ease of operation during exhibition, but once again the original cord was retained (fig. 7.8).

Exhibition Planning for Takis: The Fourth Dimension

Takis sent a diagram with detailed instructions for the installation of Ballet Magnetique. Unfortunately, testing of the installation setup revealed two complications: the tethers often became tangled and significantly impaired the movement of the suspended elements; and the elements collided frequently and with enough force to cause concern about their long-term preservation.

Takis was consulted for assistance in troubleshooting the problems. A compromise was reached to improve the movement of the elements by adding an additional inch between them and the magnet. In addition, the conservation department received permission to create exhibition copies of the two elements.

The original elements appeared to be painted fishing bobbins made from now-solid cork with cylindrical magnets inserted into the center. A copy of the round form was made by facing the cork core of a softball with thin cork sheeting until it reached the correct diameter, and then it was spray-painted matte black. A copy of the biconical form was made from two corks adhered on-end and painted with white acrylic. Both pieces were given hanging hardware and a magnet of appropriate strength, and weighted with lead shot to be the same weight as their respective originals. The copies (left) can be compared to the originals (right) (fig. 7.9). The final exhibition copy of Ballet Magnetique stayed true to the artist’s intention without compromising the most fragile original materials (fig. 7.10).

For the installation of Magnetic Tableau No. 7, Takis sent several images that included a copy of the same installation diagram the Menil had on file, confirming that the original information came from the artist. However, he also sent images of scaffolding that was similar to the scaffolding seen in images uncovered during the research phase of the project. The time, funds, and space required for scaffolding were not practical for the Menil so an alternative was presented to Takis. At some point during the project, a friend of Melissa Warak had visited Paris and photographed a Magnetic Tableau installed at the Centre Pompidou. There appeared to be a partial wall hanging from the ceiling opposite the painting from which the elements could be suspended. Takis granted the Menil permission to create a simplified version of that design using thin metal rods. This allowed successful viewing of the piece while maintaining the correct angles in the work and respecting its focus (fig. 7.11).

Conclusion

This project was a study in collaboration, diplomacy, creativity, and compromise that produced a very successful exhibition for the Menil Collection. Everyone involved had the full experience of working with a living artist. All aspects of the project required a thoughtful review of conservation ethics and standards.

Notes