I left off last week mentioning the work of Allison May Kiphuth, another “Small World” exhibitor at the Fleming Museum. But it wasn’t the size of Kiphuth’s work that intrigued me, it was the way shadow elevated one of her pieces.
Grand Canyon, Arizona 3, Allison May Kiphuth, 2018, Watercolor on hand-cut paper, sealed with encaustic
I enjoy work that operates on different levels, making for a greater impact than one might get from its surface value alone. The shadows of the trees, cast behind the piece on the wall, add such an interesting dimension.
I couldn’t get the image out of my mind as I was driving home and was reminded of other pieces I’ve seen that have integrated shadows to dramatic effect, sometimes as the basis of the work and sometimes as a happy, though unintended bonus. See if you agree.
Carmelo Midili exhibited this stand-out piece at the Brattleboro Museum a number of years ago. It caught my eye because I too have made work with uneven edges, knowing strong gallery lights would cast interesting shadows around the perimeter.
Sogno #9, Carmelo Midili, 2014, Wood, discarded painting on canvas panel, pumice
This piece by Janet Van Fleet is part of a series that capitalizes on shadows in such a lyrical way.
Janet Van Fleet, detail of a piece from her Circular Statements body of work, ca. 2010, buttons and other circular elements
Three other master manipulators of shadow are Kumi Yamashita, and Tim Noble & Sue Webster. It’s hard to imagine how they figure out how to construct these pieces. The detail is phenomenal.
0 to 9, Kumi Yamashita, 2011, Carved wood, single light source, shadow, Permanent Collection Le Meridien Shenyang, China
Dirty White Trash (With Gulls), Tim Noble and Sue Webster, 1998, 6 months’ worth of artists’ trash, 2 taxidermy seagulls, light projector
One final piece that has stayed with me – in fact, I still have the postcard on my fridge from the show where I saw it – is by Andrea Lilienthal. While I don’t remember that it was explicitly stated that the shadows cast by the piece were an intended part of the work, it was an element that certainly made an impression on me, as this photo I took emphasizes.
Roundabout, Andrea Lilienthal, 2014, White birch and acrylic paint