“A Still Dialogue”
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The Works of Tanya Marcuse: Exhibition: Letinsky and Marcuse: “A Still Dialogue”
Tanya Marcuse is a photography and artist. She has mastered the ability to create intricate artworks using physical elements and photographing them. I attended an exhibition where nine of her works are still on display until April 2, 2016. The McIninch Art Gallery is at our university, and the exhibition I on the first floor of the Robert Frost hall. I was privileged to visit the gallery on 28 February 2016. The exhibition is called “A Still Dialogue,” curated by Professor Vanessa Rocco. Marcuse’s monumental works are displayed at the same time as fellow-artist, Laura Letinsky (Letinsky + Marcuse, n.d. n.p.). From what I gathered myself, the title of the exhibition: “A Still Dialogue,” could be the dialogue of the still life in photography. It speaks of opulence, and in particular, the desire to have more of what one has. Ironically this is somehow what the write up on the McIninch Art Gallery website suggests. Marcuse’s work is placed under the banner of “Fallen.” Both artists use the same techniques to realize their works of art. Marcuse’s work is magical and intriguing and requires a long visit. I am glad I decided to visit alone, as it turned out, I could take my time viewing her work. I did not know this at first, but decided beforehand to go alone, and it turned out to be a most fulfilling visit. It is also wonderful that the exhibition has no entrance fee. This could allow me to go back and visit some more.
The works draw ones attention as it is so colorful to begin with, and its placement on the walls, make it an easy to view exhibition. I was intrigued by the myriads of items, and the denseness of its placement. Even though it may seem like random placements, it still creates a design in each image. It is difficult to call it an image because there are so many, varied images in each image. It gives the idea of images within images. It creates a feel of dichotomy, as one expects the work to be confusing, yet it is totally ordered and organized. Each piece (image) in the photograph has a place, and this is what creates the intrigue. It draws the viewer to stand in front of any one of her works, and drink in all that is happening on the canvas. That is exactly what happened to me. If time allows, I would like to go back and see some more of the work, and perhaps compare her work with that of Letinsky.
There is so much to see in one image. I am glad that I went alone because I could savor the moments without having to feel rushed or be rushed. In this case, I enjoyed the fact that there was enough space between the artworks, so that the one did not distract from the other. I have to compliment the curator for doing this. This is one time where the “White Cube” display method did a great service to the art works.
Of the nine works by Tanya Marcuse, I found one work that stood out for me, and could use a short discussion. This one has more of a hands-on design appearance, and is quite densely designed, as most of her works are. This particular image is called Fallen No. 129, and was completed in 2010 (see Appendix: Figure 1). A similar one is the Fallen No. 439, completed in 2013 (see Appendix: Figure 2). It is from a private collection of Jane and Tom Lace. The latter show more of the decay element, and more color, she used in this series. These are my own images that I photographed while in the gallery. It shows how much work goes into one of these photographs, as it has to be set up first (designed in its totality), and then photographed. I can imagine that she would have taken a number of photographs to finally decide which one would be the final work. If one can make such a mind shift, the same would have applied to the works of Jackson Pollock. These kinds of works cannot truly be repeated as the design in it has an almost a built-in “feel” for what the artist wanted to achieve. It is not random placements of objects, and that is what makes it an artwork, and is not exactly haptic. It has a feel of purpose to it. It is a photograph, yet it displays as a painting because of the lighting, the color as well as the other materials that were used. The lighting appears to be natural, but because it is photography, she probably would have used artificial light. According to the McIninch Art Gallery write up, discussing the Letinsky + Marcuse: A Still Dialogue exhibition, the images were printed with the Pigment print method, which offers a high-resolution print (Letinsky + Marcuse, n.d. n.p.).
The use of color is extremely important as well, and in this particular work, it is well-balance – including the light. It appears as a “natural design” because Marcuse used many natural materials. The placement of the materials seems natural, yet the background knowledge that I gathered after my visit, reveals that it is an actual creation, design, and photograph. I have since read up on her work, and that of Letinsky, and the hope is that I could visit the exhibition once more, and combine my own findings with that of the existing knowledge and perhaps have an even greater enjoyment of the work, as well as more insight. The use of fruit in the images is also a unique experience for me. It is more so the use of the decayed fruit that intrigues me.
One of the most important aspects of my visit is what I have learnt. I have gained the knowledge that art is in the design, in the color, in the balance and in the composition of the work. It does not really matter what materials you use, and how you present the work, as long as it speaks to the onlooker, and, as in my case, intrigues the onlooker. Both Letinsky and Marcuse found a way in which to re-interpret the still life, and it has been hugely successful. As the McIninch Art Gallery write up says: “They [have] found themselves in an historical trajectory of still life, as well as advance the genre’s parameters.” They have also found a way to use food (in particular fruit) with which to create the images (Letinsky + Marcuse, n.d. n.p.).
The works inspire one to create this type of art that make use of modern technology to create bodies of work of a new era. I am truly inspired by the works, and as I said before, it will motivate me to pay the exhibition another visit.
References
Letinsky + Marcuse: A Still Dialogue at SNHU’s McIninch Art Gallery. (n.d.). Retrieved March
3, 2016, from http://www.nhmagazine.com/Calendar/index.php/name/Letinsky-Marcuse-A-Still-Dialogue-at-SNHUs-McIninch-Art-Gallery/event/14665/
Appendix
Figure 1: Tanya Marcuse: Fallen, No. 129, 2010
Figure 2: Tanya Marcuse: Fallen, No. 439, 2013
