Saturday, September 16, 2006
Helen Maurer
I had never heard of this artist. I had no prior knowledge of her work or what I was likely to find as I climbed up the stairs toward Angel Row Gallery, clutching coupons for my two complimentary drinks in one hand and the rail in the other.
No wonder then that I didn't think to look up when I saw the first projector. A solitary overhead projector, situated in the middle of the first room. The surface was covered in some kind of mess, bits and pieces of glass arranged in piles. What on earth is this? After roughly ten minutes of staring, stumped, my eyes followed a pool of light seeping over from the wall.
Cave Painting, 2003
Aha. So that's what it is.
A boat-shaped projection just visible against a pale blue waterscape, creating a lagoon in 8 square feet of two-dimensional space. Beautiful, subtle colors reminiscent of nothing so much as water. The water is a primary source of inspiration for Maurer who currently lives on her boat.
More recent work pushes beyond the likes of Cave Painting not only projecting the image but incorporating it into the space. Mirrors create new shapes as light bounces off them and suddenly the viewer finds themself in the piece. Sidetables painted white break up the surface under the image, model boats resting here and there. In the words of the statement, "Rather than miniature objects projected to create life-size versions of themselves, the projections now spill over onto physical structures and real objects making them part of the created landscapes." In the arrangement of the objects and the projected images, the model boats are proportionate to the image around them.
Easily one of the most refreshing concepts on view now. Running 16 Sep-28 Oct, a free must-see.
No wonder then that I didn't think to look up when I saw the first projector. A solitary overhead projector, situated in the middle of the first room. The surface was covered in some kind of mess, bits and pieces of glass arranged in piles. What on earth is this? After roughly ten minutes of staring, stumped, my eyes followed a pool of light seeping over from the wall.
Cave Painting, 2003
Aha. So that's what it is.
A boat-shaped projection just visible against a pale blue waterscape, creating a lagoon in 8 square feet of two-dimensional space. Beautiful, subtle colors reminiscent of nothing so much as water. The water is a primary source of inspiration for Maurer who currently lives on her boat.
More recent work pushes beyond the likes of Cave Painting not only projecting the image but incorporating it into the space. Mirrors create new shapes as light bounces off them and suddenly the viewer finds themself in the piece. Sidetables painted white break up the surface under the image, model boats resting here and there. In the words of the statement, "Rather than miniature objects projected to create life-size versions of themselves, the projections now spill over onto physical structures and real objects making them part of the created landscapes." In the arrangement of the objects and the projected images, the model boats are proportionate to the image around them.
Easily one of the most refreshing concepts on view now. Running 16 Sep-28 Oct, a free must-see.
# posted by Kielty @ 11:50 PM 
