PHOTOGRAPH BY PETER MARLOW/MAGNUM

“Standing Paint Roller in Painter’s Tray,” 2013

This piece was created early in the artist’s career and daringly transcends the boundary between sculpture and installation art—the paint has solidified, insuring that the piece cannot be moved from the spot where it was originally displayed, on the first-floor landing of the gallery. It also subverts notions of functionality and art, as the painter’s tray is completely unusable now that it has sat in the same place for eight months. The roller, once a means of artistic creation, has morphed into a symbol of deterioration and impotence, lying in a pool of thinly textured white paint, recalling Robert Ryman’s work.

“Sudden Replacement of Functioning Washing Machine with Non-Functional Coin-Operated Washing Machine,” Late 2013

This piece serves as a critique of the increasing commercialization of the art world. The viewer, initially under the impression that he or she would be able to do laundry in the gallery, is forced to confront the escalating demand for high-priced artwork, as he or she attempts to feed quarters, acquired from the deli next door, into the artwork. The piece satirizes the willingness of the viewer to interact with such crass commercialism, as it swallows the quarters yet leaves the laundry cold and damp but unwashed.

“Absence of Insulation Between Floors,” 2012

“Absence of Insulation Between Floors” makes the viewer question the very idea of installation as art, as the work is in fact the negation of installation—the insulation was never installed between any of the floors. As a result, the viewer is forced to engage with the dialogue of other gallery visitors, whose conversations are audible in their entirety. Viewers must sometimes, against their will, hear arguments, parties, and sexual intercourse during their visit to the gallery.

“Location Next to Loud Night Club and Thin, Low-Quality Windows,” 2009

“Location Next to Loud Night Club and Thin, Low-Quality Windows” is truly a collaborative work between Landlord and another artist, Owner of Loud Night Club, and must be viewed through this lens. (Owner of Loud Night Club can usually be seen standing outside the club, and must be viewed through the lens of thin, low-quality windows_._) The work recalls the discomfort and anxiety elicited by Richard Serra’s famous “One Ton Prop (House of Cards),” as the realization dawns on the viewer that the thudding music is certain to continue until 7 A.M. and will make sleep impossible. The allusion to Serra’s work is reinforced by the installation of a rusting barbecue that hangs by one wheel from the roof gutters of the club.

“Deeply Incompetent Building Managers,” 2013-2014

With this last piece, “Deeply Incompetent Building Managers,” the artist offers his viewers insight into the difficulties faced by young, up-and-coming artists trying to gain acceptance from the art establishment. When the viewer calls the management number provided by Landlord at the gallery entrance, most often no one picks up. When someone does pick up, the viewer is usually put on hold for around seven minutes, and then told that the works she has seen in the gallery—for example, “Location Next to Loud Night Club and Thin, Low-Quality Windows” or “Absence of Insulation Between Floors”—are an essential part of the over-all experience, and that they will not be changed.