At Art Miami, Red Dot and Scope, video works are prevalent, with some more captivating than others, drawing crowds that linger. Pieces at Scope, Art Miami and Red Dot drew my attention.
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- “Dornen” by Marck presented by Licht Feld of Basel at Scope
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- “Girl with Pearl” aging into woman at Scope
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- Cynical Diptych at Scope
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- “Translucent Blue” by Susie Lee presented by Myers Contemporary at Red Dot
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- “Holding” by Susie Lee, presented by Myers Contemporary at Red Dot
At Scope, as can be expected, the pieces are a bit edgier than at Red Dot and Art Miami. Three of the Scope pieces in particular were interesting.
The first, “Dornen” by Marck at Licht Feld of Basel, incorporates sculpture into the image, as a woman moves up and down the video screen in between posts that are physically protruding from the screen. She doesn’t grab the posts, just moves her head, arms, and torso up and down the screen, in between the posts. As she contorts to fit between the posts, you can see her digital body flexing, hair moving, shirt wrinkling when she rubs past the physical posts. The posts appear as three dimensional objects that retreat from their protrusion back into the screen, as deep as the body they are shaping into bended willows. The optical illusion mesmerizes—for a bit. While the illusion of the three dimensional posts, and the depth of the digital image is technically quite well done, the piece could have taken the movement a bit farther. The positions of the posts limits the options for contortion, and when her hands reach the top of the frame, I was disappointed to see them retreating so quickly.
The last two pieces at Scope that were intriguing were a pair of works. The artist begins with Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” and over four minutes, slowly ages the girl to an old woman, with the paint changing ever so subtlety. The second piece is a diptych with a piece of art on one screen and people sitting on a couch in the other. Eventually, the art disappears from the first screen and appears as a framed piece above the couch, with those on the couch seemingly oblivious to the addition of the art above their head. The oblivion continues as oversized insects begin to march across the wall above the couch. The cynical commentary on obliviousness—whether it be art or insects—fits nicely within Scope’s attitude.
Exploring the context of art works continues in two compelling pieces at Art Miami. Gregory Scott at the Catherine Edelman Gallery has two pieces that drew in viewers. Both pieces use multiple media, mostly painting, photography and video, within the video. The different media interact—what is a painting in one frame of the video is a photograph or a video in the next. So as not to spoil the visual illusions, here are hyperlinks:
“Fabrication” is a mind boggling puzzle as art becomes video becomes photo becomes art.
“Myopia” takes place within a gallery setting. With both pieces, gasps are heard and smiles are seen as viewers respond to the changing dynamics of the “art” and the “audience.”
While watching Scott’s video, I was quietly smiling, admiring his ability to play with the concept of art as perception with such insight, while at the same time delivering on a highly polished and aesthetically appealing level. My hat is off to you, Gregory Scott.
The final pieces that caught my attention were by Susie Lee with Myers Contemporary at the entrance to Red Dot. One of few video pieces at Red Dot, Lee’s approach to these video works is contemplative and compassionate. These video portraits are gentle and insightful looks at the relationship of the subject to the camera and lights in the field of portraiture, while at the same time creating a quietly powerful profile of the subject.
Similar to Bill Viola’s works that evolve slowly and subtly over time, Lee’s videos change slowly, rewarding the viewer with subtle shifts or a different image with every glance. Unlike Viola’s slow motion installations, Lee’s portraits are real time, spanning 30 minutes in the life of the subjects. The length of time creates works of depth, revealing themselves over time, offering something new each time they are viewed.
By asking the subjects to hold poses for an extended period of time, as they would in photography, sculpture or painting studios, Lee is recreating the time-honored tradition of portraiture posing. By videoing the session, Lee captures an intimacy in the subject that is not possible in other media. As a young girl moves her leg or an old woman moves her head, the viewer is drawn into an emotional connection with the subject. Less abstract than a captured moment in time, a viewer is drawn more deeply into the subject as they watch them over time, quietly posing for their portrait, blinking, taking breaths, thinking, being.
All of Lee’s poses are based on master works by Picasso and Goya. The lighting and posing is delicate and refined, as are the videos themselves. The sensitivity and compassion with which Lee approaches her subjects is evident in the willingness with which the subjects reveal themselves over time. Susie Lee’s powerful video portraits are best seen in the evening, when light from the entrance to Red Dot does not overpower them.
Visionary Thinking 