My recent
studio work (initiated in 1993) grew out of a long involvement
with abstract painting and installation. This new work consists
of curating collections of contemporary artifacts.
These collections are installed on the wall in straightforward
horizontal serial presentations. Each collection is a micro-exhibition
displaying cultural values.
These collections are as unmediated as possible—no transformation of material,
no clever juxtapositions, no artiness, no "art."
This
recent body of work bridges my interest in the ideology of minimalism
with a reverence for "ordinary objects," everyday culture,
and a belief that mass culture is the living, indigenous culture
of the post-industrial world. I will briefly discuss five of
my collection pieces:
Twenty Eye-Shadow Compacts, like my other early collection
pieces, is directly related to my involvement with abstract
painting, especially monochrome painting. Compacts
contain rich, matte surfaces of pure dense pigment in magical
little containers. Miniature Rothkos you can hold in your hand,
or your handbag, wherever you go. These compacts are also about
an idealized human form, and like portrait painting, involve
a ritualized activity in which pigment on a palette is applied
with a brush with great care in a personal style. Makeup and
portraiture are meditations on beauty and identity created
in private for exhibition in public. |