Spanning the entire 150 feet of -scope New York's entrance and exit, Partington's series of black robotic waves sets the feeling of venturing into another place and time. The artist's installation draws from theater in it's most earnest, classical sense. The audience must actively confront, navigate, respond, manipulate their way through "TIDE" to enter or leave the fair. As in a play, the sculpture's seemingly subtle, natural movements are programmed- utterly staged. "TIDE" is as sophisticatedly artificial as any truly moving performance and draws viewers to question the origin of their responses to it. Referencing the insinuations of a drama, "TIDE" is a vision that is both fantastically alluring while also darkly foreboding. Visitors view something simply beautiful yet latently menacing. "Tide" aesthetically is a metaphor for all the potential power man has to create and destroy- raise and bury, purify and pollute, love and hate... The list of self reflexive - paradoxical relationships goes on and on... Above all references and inferences, "TIDE" transcends it's historical connotations to exist first and foremost as a fresh, playfully poignant, contemporary piece of installation art.

Comments (3)    Print This Entry

Permalink    In Category: Family News     Add To Your Hot Topic List