Saturday, November 19, 2005
Dark
...impulses. I followed the link to the Serpentine Gallery and from there I went to check out the incredible installations on Ilya and Emilia Kabakov's site. The introduction to The Antenna caught my attention with the bit about twinkling: the "I see - I don't see" effect. The Antenna and its twinkling make me wonder if the Kabakovs have constructed or made conscious whatever it is that powers a poem.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I remember encountering Ilya Kabakov's work in Glasgow in 1993. The Centre for Contemporary Arts had an exhibition of work by Kabakov and the Estonian Ulo Sooster, both of whom had lived through the most repressive, regulated period of modern Soviet history. Both had attempted to remain true to their art; however, while Sooster never ceased to openly oppose the restrictions on his art—and suffered for it—Kabakov subverted the restrictions by producing what was required from him (beautifully-illustrated children's books) while covertly pursuing his own art. The Glasgow exhibition affected me powerfully, and I still wonder about the fundamental issue it raises: how to balance pragmatism with the integrity of openly standing up for your ideals.
Thanks Brenda.
Thank you for that thought provoking comment, Pete. I hope I'll have the chance to experience their work in person some day. While I like learning about artists and their work online, nothing beats sharing physical space with the art. The tension that builds when I'm in the presence of some art - that weird dialogue between perception and the medium - tends to uncover and heighten the grappling.
Post a Comment