Interview with the great sculptor Charles Ray who shows in two different galleries in Los Angeles

Charles Ray, the renowned American sculptor, opened two simultaneous solo exhibitions in Los Angeles on April 18, one at Matthew Marks Gallery and the other at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, located about a mile apart. The Matthew Marks show features three new works, including "Junk 2" (2026) and "The Animation of Pandora" (2026), while the Deitch exhibition presents three older iconic pieces such as "Firetruck" (1993), "Pepto-Bismol in a Marble Box" (1988), and "Table" (1990). Ray, who has lived in Los Angeles for four decades, is known for his meticulous, slow-working process and his exploration of the human body and everyday objects at altered scales.

This double exhibition matters because it highlights Ray's enduring influence and the unique scale of the Los Angeles art scene, which remains a vital hub for American collectors despite New York's dominance in galleries and museums. The shows also underscore Ray's career-long themes—transforming mundane objects into monumental sculptures and engaging with classical and American archetypes—while demonstrating his ability to command simultaneous presentations across major galleries, following his 2022 trio of shows at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Centre Pompidou, and Bourse de Commerce.