‘In terms of conceptual art, any conceptual artist would laugh. They would say that conceptualism lasted a very short time and that was in the 1960s,' says artist Liz Deschenes, ‘I was born in 1966, so I totally missed it!’ Photography has always been a pluralistic discipline, but it hasn’t been historicised in this way. Deschenes’ photographs follow more in line with process and presentation than genre or subject – or rather, typical delineations of the medium. ‘It’s often thought to be this or that, i.e. analog or digital, colour or black-and-white,’ she explains, ‘I don’t find those binaries to be as compelling as the medium is.’
Now 50, the beloved new wave photographer, who has received comparisons to Moholy-Nagy and James Welling, is finally receiving her first mid-career survey at the Diller, Scofidio + Renfro-designed Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, the city which she was born.
‘The site is tremendous, right on the water,’ she exclaims, ‘As important as a site is, sites are flexible. I’m interested in the conditions of display. Often times people think the way things get displayed are static. It’s not.’
Seeing as presentation concerns inform much of these meditative and physical works, the show isn’t merely a bunch of pretty photographs hung on the wall. The ICA exhibition traces Deschenes’ work from 1997 and eschews any chronological narrative, a conscientious decision arrived at from dialogues between her and curator Eva Respini. Deschenes has taken advantage of what she calls ‘the flexibility and dynamism’ of the institution to offer a ‘highly selected groupings of work’, even finishing the show with a site-specific series for the museum’s Founders Gallery.
Her works stand out, quite literally – many of her photogram works, such as Tilt / Swing, Gallery 7 and Gallery 4.1.1., rise from the ground as freestanding objects while unravelling the layers of what have been imposed as the defining components of photography (e.g. light, frame, subject, contrast, etc). Deschenes also often forgoes the usage of a camera, just relying on natural sun or moonlight instead.
Deschenes offers luminous and reflective works – literally – wherein they mirror both what’s in front and behind them. For the show’s finale, the series Timelines, 11-part silver-toned photograms act as two-way seeing devices and are hung directly onto the gallery’s glass walls, overlooking Boston’s busy port, ascending or descending depending on the vantage point. ‘The work obstructs the view but it also reveals a different view at the same time,’ she says. ‘Like many of my works, it [has] double functions. Every time I do a show I like to reveal something in the process.’
The exhibition traces Deschenes’ work from 1997 and eschews any chronological narrative – a conscientious decision arrived at from dialogues between her and curator Eva Respini
Her works standout, quite literally – many of her photogram pieces rise from the ground as freestanding objects
She explains, ’I’m interested in the conditions of display. Often times people think the way things get displayed are static. It’s not’
INFORMATION
’Liz Deschenes’ is on view until 16 October. For more details, please visit the ICA’s website
Photography courtesy of the artist and ICA Boston
ADDRESS
Institute of Contemporary Art
25 Harbor Shore Drive
Boston, MA 02210
-
‘A Single Man’ is now a ballet – we go behind the designAs ‘A Single Man’ is presented by The Royal Ballet and Factory International in London, here’s how its set designer brought protagonist George’s inner and outer worlds to life on stage
-
Pat McGrath sets a new standard for luxury in beauty with La Beauté Louis VuittonThe fashion house has launched its long-awaited debut beauty line, spearheaded by legendary make-up artist Pat McGrath
-
This Italian palazzo-turned-café adds a dash of drama to your morning espressoDesigned by studio AMAA, Caffè Nazionale brings new energy to a 19th-century former town hall in the northern Italian town of Arzignano
-
Richard Prince recontextualises archival advertisements in TexasThe artist unites his ‘Posters’ – based on ads for everything from cat pictures to nudes – at Hetzler, Marfa
-
The best Ruth Asawa exhibition is actually on the streets of San FranciscoThe artist, now the subject of a major retrospective at SFMOMA, designed many public sculptures scattered across the Bay Area – you just have to know where to look
-
Orlando Museum of Art wants to showcase more Latin American and Hispanic artists. Do you fit the bill?The Florida gallery calls for for Hispanic and Latin American artists to submit their work for an ongoing exhibition
-
The spread of Butter: the Black-owned art fair where artists see all the profitsThe Indianapolis-based art fair is known for bringing Black art to the forefront. As it ventures out of state to make its Los Angeles debut, we speak with founders Mali and Alan Bacon to find out more
-
Steve Martin wants you to visit The Frick CollectionThe actor has appeared in a video promoting New York’s newly renovated art museum
-
Architect Erin Besler is reframing the American tradition of barn raisingAt Art Omi sculpture and architecture park, NY, Besler turns barn raising into an inclusive project that challenges conventional notions of architecture
-
The dynamic young gallerists reinvigorating America's art scene'Hugging has replaced air kissing' in this new wave of galleries with craft and community at their core
-
Meet the New York-based artists destabilising the boundaries of societyA new show in London presents seven young New York-based artists who are pushing against the borders between refined aesthetics and primal materiality
