James Lee Byars: The Diamond Floor, Michael Werner Gallery

Michael Werner Gallery hosts a curious new exhibition from American artist James Lee Byars with the first display of The Diamond Floor in the UK.
Who is James Lee Byars?
Born in 1932 in Michigan, Byars is a mythical figure who had a strange immersive existence that made all parts of his life a performance. He quickly established himself as a leading installation, sculpture and performance artist with particularly recognition for his works loaded with psychological intent.
An installation created initially in 1995 for the Fondation Cartier pour L'art Contemporain in Paris, ‘The Diamond Floor’ is made up of five large crystal diamonds that are arranged on a black lacquer floor in the formation of a slightly compressed pentagon. The shape evokes the silhouette of a man, with each diamond representing a head, two arms and two legs. A dramatic evocation of the concept that ‘Five Points Make a Man’ - a philosophical idea that permeates much of Byars' work - the piece is a manifestation of Byars’ obsession with perfect form, ephemeral beauty and the apparent contradictions between the physical and spiritual.
A complex idea, simply realised, ‘The Diamond Floor’ is a perplexing new installation in London that is well worth a visit.