part of the fresh resolution that i am determined to adhere to is motivated by equal parts guilt, shame, and an unyeilding nerd complex. when discussing my recent work a few weeks ago and asked if there were any new artists of interest to the my work, i could say nothing. shameful. in this moment of bashful negligence, i decided to set some rules for myself and stick to 'em: learn up, read up, and write up.
the inquisitor of these woefully absent new references, graciously led me (as always) to a place to start: robert smithson. a curious place to begin. a relationship of an artist known predominantly for highly conceptual earthworks to my own artwork seems tangential at best. smithson was also a brilliant writer and philosopher, in reading his brief essay, "A Provisional Theory of Non-Sites," a small, gem of a connection was made. in his essay, smithson makes a case for the possibility of an artwork to reference a specific site without needing to bear strict resemblance of that referenced site. the artwork is a "dimensional logic," a ways and means of thinking alternatively about a site that may not always be visually accessible. moreover, the traditional model of life-like representation of subject or referent in an artwork is not always necessary or desirable. images of A Nonsite, Pine Barrens, New Jersey, referenced in "AProvisional Theory of Non-Sites," can be seen here, courtesy of Robert Smithon's Estate and James Cohan Gallery.
this short, provisional theory gave way to a new avenue of thinking about the selection of images used within my work. particularly, why abstractly recreate a family photograph, especially a photo that doesn't hold a clear memory for me? the tension created in loss, lack, and inadequacy that has become conceptually crucial in choosing specific photographs, is quite possibly the root of the object i make and of my practice itself.
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