VENICE, CA.- L.A. Louver celebrates artist Mark di Suvero’s iconic, 60 foot tall sculpture Declaration (2001) that has been installed at the Venice Beach Boardwalk since May 2001. On view to the public for nearly two decades through support by L.A. Louver, the artwork will be relocated in late 2019 to di Suvero’s studio in Northern California. A Summer Celebration honoring the Venice Family Clinic and di Suvero’s deep roots in the community will take place on June 5 from 6 to 8pm, and coincides with his solo exhibition on view at L.A. Louver, Mark di Suvero: Painting and Sculpture, from May 1 through June 8, 2019.

“When Declaration was installed 18 years ago, we had only intended the work to be on view for six months, but it quickly became a popular and widely beloved fixture for Venice as a place for gathering, celebration and reflection,” says Peter Goulds, Founding Director of L.A. Louver gallery. “We supported a series of extensions for its public installation, and now after nearly two decades, we are extremely pleased that Declaration has made such a positive impact in the local community. Even though permanent status could not be achieved in its present location, we are honored to have championed this iconic work, a Los Angeles cultural landmark and the focal point of Venice Beach and its Boardwalk. Everywhere Mark goes, he builds community, and his sculptures do the same. We are immensely proud of our long association with Mark, who is one of the greatest American sculptors of our time, and our support for this key work from his career.”

Formed of steel I beams, Declaration features two arms outstretched that point towards the city of Los Angeles, as if to embrace the cityscape from its beachfront location. The artwork references di Suvero’s personal connection to Los Angeles, where he established one of his first studios as a working artist in the late ’60s. Sharing in the artist’s use of kinetic, gestural applications of materials such as iron, wood, titanium and steel, the piece is part of what di Suvero refers to as “sculptural structuralism” where space, and the interrogation of space itself, becomes a key component of the artwork. Contrary to most art practices, di Suvero encourages tactile interaction with his pieces, whether by touch, or as a percussive instrument.
“The people of Venice really respond to it, and it’s important to me that they enjoy the work,” comments di Suvero. “To be able to give a sense of life to a piece of sculpture, you need to have certain references. Declaration has the exact space and openness that I’ve dreamed of – charged by the vastness of the Pacific Ocean and energized by the millions of people that come to visit.”

Located where Windward Ave. intersects with the Venice Beach Boardwalk, Declaration was erected in May 2001, to mark the 22nd annual Venice Family Clinic Art Walk & Auction, and was originally intended to be on view for only six months through November of that year. Following the September 11 attacks, the sculpture set the stage for Where are the Voices?, an event that took place on December 11, 2001, during which community members, poets and writers gathered to reflect on the tragedy. By generous loan from the artist and the support of L.A. Louver, the artwork has been kept in the location for nearly 20 years as a monument to the community and its voices, seen by over 12 million visitors to the Boardwalk per year. This iconic work will soon find a new home at di Suvero’s studio in Petaluma, California.