Bird Library Exhibit: Tectonilonical: Ancient Shifted Surface

Stop by the first floor of Bird Library to explore the exhibition featuring the work of Klasmos Kent. 

He developed an early fascination with material deconstruction, an interest that would later define his artistic practice. In 1960, after studying at Parsons The New School for Design, he became a central figure in the Fracturist movement, a conceptual art practice dedicated to the transformation of cultural artifacts through destruction and reassembly. The Fracturists sought to challenge traditional notions of artistic permanence, rejecting documentation in favor of ephemeral, performative works that engaged directly with material rupture.

This exhibit features Kent’s Tectonilonical Series (1968-1972), a body of work that explores fragmentation as a form of narrative. Deeply influenced by Greek mythology, Kent employed shattered ceramic dinnerware to evoke the visual language of ancient mosaics and archaeological ruins. His process—breaking, rearranging, and sometimes partially restoring the pieces—reflects the Fracturist ethos, highlighting the tension between destruction and transformation. In these works, Kent recontextualizes fracture as both an aesthetic strategy and a means of engaging with the material history of objects.

Items on display are part of a personal collection. On Display for April Fools Day 2025.