Bethany Springer

Nunca Pasa Nada

The exhibition entitled Nunca Pasa Nada (translated Nothing (N)ever Happens) derives from Frank Stella’s 1964 painting of the same name and includes the projects described here: A Shaker writing desk on which an 18th century Carter inkwell overflows (The Rise), Frank Stella’s Nunca Pasa Nada reinterpreted as an undulating 18’ long maple work table (The Swell), a 16’ wide digital print on di-bond aluminum which appears as a cyanotype of a duplicated net to simulate Rorschach tests (Blueprint), a 20’ wide fabricated steel mail sorter that houses the postcard series (The Wake), and a postcard series created in Newfoundland, Canada (Wish You Were 1.0, 2.0, & 3.0, Long Division (20.1168 meters) and Holland Island/We Are Not the Same).

The installation design relies on a simple line that becomes increasingly complex in space, originating from an overflowing inkwell on the Shaker writing desk and morphing into more complex linear systems found in Stella’s piece, the digital print, and the mailroom sorter which houses the postcard series. The pass-through-wall mail sorter simultaneously serves as a postcard rack and viewfinder for the installation. Viewers are invited to take postcards from the structure.

Nunca Pasa Nada (The Wake)
2016
Steel, postcard series
168" x 96" x 36"

Nunca Pasa Nada (The Swell)
2016
Steel, laminated Maple plywood
216" x 72" x 48"

Nunca Pasa Nada (The Rise)
2016
Shaker style writing desk in Maple, 19th century Carter inkwell, plexiglass, plastic, contact cement, sand, coke, wax, paper
120" x 76" x 47"

Blueprint
2016
Digital print on di-bond aluminum
192" x 48" x 2"