There are times when... (1989, no.15 of 25)
Lawrence Weiner, Meta Memphis

Marble, copper-plated brass
23h x 12.5w x 8.25d
TOC-A007-Weiner-ThereAreTimes

$8,500 Available (1)

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Meta Memphis is the oft-overlooked second act to the more well-known, Ettore Sottsass-led Memphis project. After the final Memphis collection was produced in 1987, Ernesto Gismondi—the owner of the company (yes, it was not just a “movement” but also a commercial enterprise)—sought to continue the project in a way that would not compete with the revolutionary work done by the original Memphis designers. The solution was to invite a cast of contemporary artists to collaborate on a collection of limited edition works that would blur the line between sculptural and functional objects.

Only two collections were produced under the Meta Memphis banner (1989 and 1991). Lawrence Weiner created this piece for the first collection. Its complete title is There are times when the only sense of accomplishment in a day is the amount of debris that accrues, a reference to the work’s functional inspiration: the wastepaper basket.