Written by Nicole Gaudier
Denise Liberi‘s works Bathers and Backstraps will be in the Our Shared Past exhibition, on view in the Stein Gallery from December 17, 2013 to May 25, 2014.
Denise Liberi, Backstraps, 2013, from the film stills Backstraps, Mixed media
A Statement from the Artist:
“The two film stills I selected presented me with philosopher Roland Barthes’s concept of punctum, “that accident which pricks me (but also bruises me, is poignant to me).” I was visually intrigued by multiple elements – the simple compositions, the dated coloring, the presence of pools and bathing suits. Conceptually, I was drawn to the backward facing figures and the connection between the two images. Drawing from the original film stills, I allowed myself to add, subtract, and simplify to create my own narrative.
The resulting diorama structures describe everything, yet explain nothing. Their small size calls for intimate experiences, much like photographic objects themselves. The layered scenes have been deconstructed and reconstructed into a structure alluding to primitive theater. Backstraps and Bathers give homage to the mysterious power of the anonymous photograph to transcend time and place.”
Denise Liberi, Bathers, 2013, from the film stills Bathers, Mixed media
There will be artist appearances at the Stein Gallery January through April. Each Saturday, artists from the exhibition will be in the Gallery from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Others will make appearances throughout the day on Weaver Free Saturdays, and on Tuesday evenings during the exhibition.
