ZOË LESCAZE FOR ARTNEWS
Mounted at the very edge of Johnen Galerie’s booth at the Armory Show, evenly spaced square boards jut out of the wall in a column reminiscent of Donald Judd’s iconic stacks. This piece has a bit more humor, though, than the austere minimalist towers: at the top sprouts a font of ivy that dangles down one side of the sculpture. In a fair full of conspicuous plant-based artworks, such as the bales of wilting carnations near the Mile End outpost and the row of trees by the VIP lounge, Ryan Gander’s I am Broken affords a subtler dose of greenery.
“It looks like a Judd from far away, but it’s sawed off Ikea tables,” said senior director Cornelia Tischmacher. Sure enough, one edge of the dark-painted planks were raw exposed wood. “I went to the flower district to find the longest ivy,” she said, explaining that the vines were meant to climb all the way down. “But the ivy in New York is very short right now.” The piece (ivy included?) is available for £23,000 ($35,000).