Coherence of garbage 06/08/2010
"The job of any sensory system is to create objects in the world out of the incoming proximal stimulus energy” (Perceptual Coherence by Stephen Handel). Most of the time objects are correctly recognized without effort, however artful arrangements can reveal the fact that many solutions can arise from the same projection on the retina (the "proximal stimulus energy"). The London artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster made quite an impressive demonstration of this principle by creating a huge gap between the projection and the object that generates it (cf. image below). Even if no different from ombromanie, the art of creating images from hand shadows, it remains impressive. When the heap of garbage is illuminated from one side we see a couple back to back, where there should only be some accidental organization. At first I thought of it as a rather pessimistic version of Plato's allegory of the cave. The intention was clearly different though. The rubbish was produced by the artists consumption, who are thus doubly reflected by it.  Dirty White Trash by Tim Noble and Sue Webster. Exhibited in 1998. CommentsLeave a Reply | AboutCabinet of curiosities were the ancestors of the museum, as places where the idle rich exhibited objects they deemed interesting, sometimes without any systematic order. Although I could call this a "blog", "cabinet of curiosities" sounds much more respectable. ArchivesJune 2010 CategoriesAll |
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