Richard Bloes

Art and Obsolescence

This week we’re visiting with someone who quite possibly has the longest running career in installing and maintaining time based media art installations. Richard Bloes has served as an AV technician at the Whitney Museum of American art for over 41 years, and has accrued an incomparable wealth of knowledge. If there is a potential way for an artwork to malfunction, break or be installed incorrectly Richard has seen it and probably knows how to fix it. In addition to the hard earned lessons won over many decades of collaborating directly with incredible roster of artists, Richard is also an artist himself and has maintained practice over the years that has unquestionably enriched and supported his work as a technician who has devoted his entire professional career in the service of other artists intentions and vision. This week’s episode is full of charming anecdotes and terrifying stories of the hard realities of collecting exhibiting and conserving time-based media art.
Links from the conversation with Richard
> V-yramid: https://whitney.org/collection/works/5459
> Magnet TV: https://whitney.org/collection/works/6139
> Fin de Siecle II: https://whitney.org/collection/works/8532
> Earl Reiback: https://whitney.org/artists/1080
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Art and Obsolescence is a non-profit podcast, sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts, and we are committed to equitably supporting artists that come on the show. Help support our work by making a tax deductible gift through NYFA here: https://www.artandobsolescence.com/donate