An interesting exhibit is showing at Jen Bekman, in NY. This is an exhibit of large-scale photographs of collage works done by Ken Rogowski using various puzzles that were cut from the same die, and then reassembled to form these new works. I like the self-imposed structure of these. By that, I mean I enjoy looking at the rules that artists force upon themselves as they struggle with creativity. I think this must be the very "restraint" that Matthew Barney is so fascinated with in his lifelong Drawing Restraint series. Do these personal rules help us rule out some of the variables that could exist within our own depictions? Interesting idea. I think it may. I know I am always coming up with restrictions that end up making art more of a game at times, and this thrills me for some reason that only the child in me understands. (for example, my own personal use of rather monotone-istic color palettes.)
But, something is puzzling me. (pun intended!) I do have a question regarding the use of the photograph of the collage as the show, instead of the collaged puzzles themselves. According to the press release on the Bekman site, "In photographing his completed objects, Rogowski transforms them yet again. Shifting the scale of the photographic image modulates the grid-like uniformity produced by the borders of the puzzle pieces, diminishing or increasing the order they exert over the chaos of the constructed image."
Of this exhibit Bekman says, "First and foremost, the layers of his process are a meditation on the photographic image as an object, rather than as a document."
Would the message that the viewer received from the art be the same, whether the artist exhibited the collages themselves at actual size or whether he exhibited large scale photos of the collages? Is the larger than life image somehow altering the message, the meaning? I just am curious, in view of the fact that these very large projects seem to be popular lately. i. e. Jeff Koons and his large sculptures in NYC.
Kent Rogowski at Jen Bekman
On view May 7 - June 14, 2008
BTW, Bekman is sponsoring a super cool looking photography contest...find out more here Hot Shot!
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