Sikemma Jenkins & Co.
530 W22nd Street
January 30-March 6
I'm a terrible blogger for writing a post about a show when the exhibit is already down. I'm also a terrible blogger because I do not take photos myself. I'll get better, I promise.
Leonardo Drew's show is (/was) a must see! This is an artist I will be following in the future. Unfortunately, these photos do not do the show justice by any means, especially since some of the pieces were extremely large and really enveloped the viewer in a strange, sculptural environment.
The show creates interesting dichotomies, such as the carpentry wood and the natural branches/roots. There was also a great deal of contrast within the way the wood was arranged. Some of the wood was organized into geometric, grid-like sections, while some areas were more random and haphazard. Sharp, cut wood pieces were arranged so that they came straight out of the wall threateningly, almost like knives. In some of his pieces there are areas where it looks as if he just threw his found materials onto a board and fastened them together however they landed, giving a chaotic effect. It is interesting to see this treated, cut, man-manipulated wood juxtaposed alongside natural branches and roots, as if he is paying respect to where this carpentry wood originally came from.
Although the gallery was quiet (as galleries usually are) I felt that the atmosphere was filled with sound. Perhaps this is because of the action and movement I sensed while looking at his work. To me, some areas of his work looked like stills from a disaster or an accident that had been frozen in time. It seemed like the action taking place could unfreeze and commence at any moment with sudden impact, and I would be in the midst of the catastrophe. Leonardo Drew has created a unique environment that really needs to be experienced in person for it to be fully appreciated. I will definitely be looking out for his next show!
Cassandra
No comments:
Post a Comment