Paul Kasmin Gallery was pleased to exhibit Will Ryman, America on view at the gallery’s 515 West 27 th Street , New York location, 28 February – 30 March, 2013, and if you miss it, here you will have the chance to see the full project and also the video Interview of Will Ryman.

America is inspired by the artist’s personal methodological exploration of the origins of capitalism within the scope of American history. Ryman uses found objects ranging from consumer products to industrial and hardware materials, to create masterful and intricate sculptures. Ryman’s installation questions both the history and the evolution of consumer capitalism in America. Through his creative process, Ryman s trives to creat e work that explores the contradictions of the human condition.

Ryman appropriates Abraham Lincoln’s boyhood cabin to stand as an iconic emblem of American soci o – economic conflict during the Civil War and its eventual transformation. The cabin, coated in gold resin, is composed of an amalgam of American products and objects, each possessing their own history and American symbolism.

Ryman’s cabin invites the viewer to literally step into the structure, allowing for the absorption of the me ticulous detailed inl ay of gold resin – coated objects. The shackles and chains that make up the cabin’s foundation are c overed with cross – shaped bullet proof glass, juxtaposing American re ligious culture and America’s involvement in the slave trade . The ca bin as a w hole marks a change in industrial and consumer products spa nning over several centuries.

The wal ls, trusses, roof and fireplace are composed of a variety of objects ranging from bu llets – col lected from historic battles such as the Civil War and W WII , pharmaceuticals, phone parts, cotton and corn, in addition to modern – day luxury products. The materials are all arranged in geometric shapes, imbuing a modernist aesthetic and structure within the cabin.