“If all of the technical forces of capitalism must be understood as tools for the making of separations, in the case of urbanism we are dealing with the equipment at the basis of these technical forces, with the treatment of the ground that suits their deployment, with the very technique of separation.”
(Guy Debord, Society of the Spectacle, as featured in @cloecaroljane’s artist statement at the Cornish BFA exhibit)
“Being, Having, Seeing,” Cloe Caroljane Short @cloecaroljane at the @cornish_artdept BFA exhibit.
Everything about this install – from the graphic aesthetic to the post-internet motifs to the naming convention (e.g. “IMG_5431.png”) to the intertextual artist statement and the literal display of reference material – is right up my alley. Fascinated by this lifeworld and looking forward to seeing more from the artist.
“[Humankind]’s self-alienation has reached the point where it can experience its own annihilation as a supreme aesthetic pleasure.” (Walter Benjamin, quoted in Draw Your Weapons by Sarah Sentilles, as featured in @cloecaroljane’s artist statement at the Cornish BFA exhibit)
“The Remembering and Forgetting.” Christy Gibson @christylizgibson at the @cornish_artdept BFA exhibit.
I struggled to translate both the scale and detail of these pieces. I stepped back and stood close, even standing on my tiptoes at one point, trying to do these stunning works some justice, before realizing that what I really should be doing is leaf through the layers of narrative for the one or two moments that speak to me personally. So that’s what I did. These parts don’t capture the whole, and I suspect that this may have been by design.
“Between Being and Body.” Kyla Crockett @kyla.gc at the @cornish_artdept BFA exhibit.
This section snuck up on me. Dimly lit and tucked away in the corner, with spooky music playing faintly in the background, I felt the intended dramatic effect in my bones (or, better: between my being and body). I’m almost embarrassed to admit how unnerved I was by these pieces. My face cracked a smile at no one in particular while my skin crawled, nagging me to step back out and into the light.
Selena Tacazon at the @cornish_artdept BFA exhibit.
One of my favorite moments in the whole show is that vignette of the flowing pink fabric flying in the wind, partially obscuring the temple-like structure in the distance. I amped up the detail in my photo because I find the interplay of textures and brushstrokes there so delightful.