2008 Woodie Awards
Anish Kapoor returns
Elizabeth Mullen
Issue date: 6/5/08 Section: Arts
Appearing for the first time on the East Coast, and returning to the US after 15 years, is Anish Kapoor's incredibly distorted perception of reality and perspective.
"Past, Present, and Future," Kapoor's 14-piece exhibit that opened last week at the Institute of Contemporary Art, is a fascinating experiment combining color, space, and optical illusions. The result is an enjoyably disorienting experience, a sophisticated funhouse for those who are still amused by the tricks our own eyes can play on us.
Kapoor's art is amazing in that it is not the type that can be passively consumed. One example of this is "My Body Your Body," a six-foot-deep conical recession into the wall that is embellished with dark blue paint pigment powder to make the hole seem to continue forever. It is not the sort of art that one can pass by and instantly form an opinion about, it is the sort where one must stand, observe, and question what they are truly looking at.
What may seem to be the simplest pieces stand out the most among the other works. "When I Am Pregnant" is a pregnant-belly-shaped bubble that can be seen protruding from the wall at most angles. Face the shape head-on, however, and the wall is suddenly flat with no evidence of the bubble. The lighting of the exhibit is angled exactly right to make this illusion appear perfectly.
Unfortunately, the perspective was lost in some of the pieces. "1000 Names," one of Kapoor's earlier works constructed of finely powdered paint pigment, is designed to look like a giant red drill spiraling up through the floor. In order to keep the pigment upright and stable, however, the work had to be supported by a thick white base placed on the floor of the exhibit, detracting from the illusion.
The exhibit, which is on view until September 7, truly needs to be seen in person to be appreciated, as one-dimensional pictures cannot show how disorienting the works can be.
"Past, Present, and Future," Kapoor's 14-piece exhibit that opened last week at the Institute of Contemporary Art, is a fascinating experiment combining color, space, and optical illusions. The result is an enjoyably disorienting experience, a sophisticated funhouse for those who are still amused by the tricks our own eyes can play on us.
Kapoor's art is amazing in that it is not the type that can be passively consumed. One example of this is "My Body Your Body," a six-foot-deep conical recession into the wall that is embellished with dark blue paint pigment powder to make the hole seem to continue forever. It is not the sort of art that one can pass by and instantly form an opinion about, it is the sort where one must stand, observe, and question what they are truly looking at.
What may seem to be the simplest pieces stand out the most among the other works. "When I Am Pregnant" is a pregnant-belly-shaped bubble that can be seen protruding from the wall at most angles. Face the shape head-on, however, and the wall is suddenly flat with no evidence of the bubble. The lighting of the exhibit is angled exactly right to make this illusion appear perfectly.
Unfortunately, the perspective was lost in some of the pieces. "1000 Names," one of Kapoor's earlier works constructed of finely powdered paint pigment, is designed to look like a giant red drill spiraling up through the floor. In order to keep the pigment upright and stable, however, the work had to be supported by a thick white base placed on the floor of the exhibit, detracting from the illusion.
The exhibit, which is on view until September 7, truly needs to be seen in person to be appreciated, as one-dimensional pictures cannot show how disorienting the works can be.
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