Yuki Nakamura is interested in old, hand-blown electric lights. So is Chris Burden, Sheila Klein, Jim Hodges and Jeff Wall, among others. Because there is no more than a genetic hair’s difference between us and chimps, Terry Pratchett thinks electric lights are more interesting than stars. We swung down from the trees to cast our light against the dark.
Nakamura, Filament Drawing, porcelain, DVD projection, 2010. The dark bulb is stage set for the electronic drawing, a line that advances, coils and disappears to reemerge for another try – let there be thin, fragile lines of experimental effort.
Light Bubbles (porcelain, plexiglas) depends upon conditions in the room, either projecting rabbit ear shadows or pooling its darks at each bulb’s base. Her plexiglas bases evoke Robert Irwin‘s, but with more of a back story. Her bulbs are containers for the thing contained, our history from torch to gas to common glow.
Nakamura is a kind of landscape artist, interested more in emblems than places, in maps that explore the meaning of the destination.
At Howard House through Jan. 30.
I for one find the stars more interesting than Terry Pratchett. And Johns more interesting than Nakamura.
Pratchett was reporting facts, not trying to be interesting-
in any location on earth, given a choice between getting electric lighting, or skipping it and seeing stars, humans have unanimously voted for lights.
And the choice was between electricity and stars, not stars and Terry Pratchett-
If given that choice, the stars are indeed a no-brainer for me, too.
Comparing Johns and Nakamura, solely on similarity of subject matter, is kind of a stretch.
I prefer Duchamps Etant Donnes to a Porno DVD cover- after all, they both feature nude women…
Guess I better go shave now.
More to the point- I was at the opening of this show- and, since it is not clear from my first post- I really liked it.
The video “drawing” on the bulb that is pictured, in particular,was captivating and magical.
I often wonder if the snappy commenters have actually seen the shows they are so quick to put down?