~OLIVIA SWIDER . . ‘THE TEXTURE Of WANT’ / MOUNTAIN GALLERY / PREVIEW (with a side of ‘The Big Short’ & Catbox Contemporary)
OLIVIA SWIDER . .
might not have had ‘scale’ in mind as a priority, when she made this symbol-loaded, fade-out . . but, though she is talking ‘want’ (emotion), and ‘texture’ (plasticity) . . she is playing with everyday ‘scale’ signifiers / ordinary shapes & things, whose size we are all familiar with, and which really do the heavy lifting – in terms of our coming to grips with the piece.
esp as to . . .’how big is that ‘teen-age crush’ lush, plush soft pink carpet triangle ?’
esp as to how, it is presented: solely, as a digital photograph, with no other clues – as to size. no background, no dimensions in the accompanying text.
which is the way most things are presented now, btw.
it is a ghost . . in our comprehension of its reality. an ‘advance’ image. digital, published on the gossamer walls of social media – way before, we have ever even seen it.
we are only doing our best guessing, when we try to process it /shake it down.
we see it as ‘life-size’ / keyed to the ‘rosary’ and the 2 other clues . . the tiny plastic rosary sleeve, & the must-be tiny trophy. we are already evaluating dimension. from the get-go.
because . . .
that is . . unless.
unless . . it’s a replica. mini-me. miniature . . ‘dollhouse’ rosary, a necklace for a Barbie type doll (?) in which case – that will be, quite the surprise.
& which somehow, I highly doubt.
esp with regard to the length of the chain.
the trophy, on the other hand . . is more curious.
it must be a ‘tiny’ souvenir bell, or a paper weight ?
after the past few weekends, I’ve been through, I’m def NOT taking ‘scale’ – for granted.
starting with the startling ‘The Big Short’, and ending in a glorious cathouse free-fall, the NICHOLAS SULLIVAN pieces were made to fit the catbox, yet at ‘The Big Short’ ELIZABETH FERRY’s tiny bronze-like ‘matchbox’, hanging on the tiny wall . . of a teeny tiny Water McBeer ‘gallery’, with immaculate mini white walls, & even with tiny floor trim, and imposing miniature wood floors, called all things ‘scale’ into question.
replica of a larger piece ? illusion ? or, real matchbox – tiny gallery ?
tiny sculpture ?
while at the ESSEX FLOWERS presentation . . MARGARET LEE produced 2 tiny perfect potatoes, that look real, and big / life-size, even in photos, but are not so much, on a tiny bathroom shelf !!
these things have me . . all . . size-spooked out !! tread lightly.
is it for real ? is it an illusion.
does it matter – in context ? yes.
and then, there’s the size of the venues, themselves.
tiny apt / living room gallery . . to tiny Catbox platform, in a living room, is apparently not that far-fetched.
it’s some kind of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ meets ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ . . moment.
get that art up, and out there . . is the only rule.
OLIVIA SWIDER. image via Instagram @mountain.bushwick
SAVE THE DATE !!
OLIVIA SWIDER & DALIA AMARA – ‘THE TEXTURE of WANT’
OPENS . . SAT FEB 24, 2018 / EVENING
MOUNTAIN (APT) GALLERY – BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN