Posts Tagged ‘Holiness: in 3 Parts’

Holiness: in 3 parts Exhibition

Saturday, October 24th, 2009

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In addition to the performances on opening night, Holiness: in 3 Parts is also an installation. The minimalist sculptures in this show are what Theaster Gates calls his “backyard esthetic”. The work hanging on the walls were constructed using materials literally found in his back yard. The evidence of their previous use gives them a beautiful and austere quality. The staircase in the courtyard behind the gallery combines these ideas of sculpture and everyday object.

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There are two shoeshine chairs that are also apart of the installation. The chairs have the same roughhewn quality that the sculptures embody. One is constructed from found lumber and the other covered in mismatched vinyl and alligator hide.

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These objects are tied together by the video projected on the wall in the corner of the gallery near the floor. The screen is split, on one side the camera is focused on a pair of black boots being shined. On the other, a man is constructing an object out of plywood. A charismatic preacher singing, “Shine on me” occasionally interrupts this action. Over the video is the sound of monks chanting a prayer.

The combination of the video and sculptural objects creates a psychic space in which the viewer can meditate on ideas of the urban and spiritual.

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