Today’s arts pick is located in Northern Liberties, a Philadelphia neighborhood known for its artistic residents.
To the untrained eye, the simplicity of this piece is deceptive–one may be tempted to question its substance and value. Look closely, however, and you’ll begin to appreciate this unknown artist. White is his color of choice, simultaneously conveying emptiness and a melding of all colors into a single homogeneous blend, which ultimately represents a sense of emptiness. The canvas also evokes our cultural association of white and purity. This square of wholesome emptiness stands on its own as a bold commentary on American society’s underlying puritanical values. However, observant viewers will notice an imperfection in the lower right-hand corner of the piece, symbolizing the inevitable corruption of innocence. The blemish is organic and will continue to encroach on the rest of the canvas, violating the purity but filling the emptiness.
This unnamed work is currently showing at The Abbaye, 637 N. Third St., Philadelphia.
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- 1 Trackback on Apr 20th, 2004 at 4:30 PM
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- 3 Trackback on Aug 10th, 2004 at 9:49 PM
And here I thought it was a polar bear in a snowstorm…
And, since white absorbs all colors (versus black which revlects everything), it is like a collective womb–a safe-haven for all. Or, the white is like a player–indiscriminating in collecting all colors/members of the opposite sex/or same sex–and camoflauging his/her lack of discretion with the cloak of purloined purity. How does the purity and white in this piece relate to a past review of another white object? (OK–couldn’t resist–Becky, these art reviews are dead-on, satirical and brilliant).
Hmmmmm…to my eyes, the piece appears gray. Perhaps it’s meant to convey that there is no innocence or evil, no right or wrong, just what is: the relativism that is reality. Or maybe I just need to adjust my monitor (and maybe there’s a metaphor in that, too).
And I thought that it was just a shitty attempt by some euro trash idiot who just graduated from community collage with an art degree. Thank you for showing me that the artist is a true intellectual and I am the idiot for not seeing the meaning of the piece.