This week’s MFA bonanza showcases three very differently installed artists.
John Prince took up the entire small gallery with varyiously sized photographs of people, places, and things. His Three Iterations of Place feel like three iterations of time with some photographs of unplaceable origin and some appearing to be dated computer technology. The stark and beautiful photographs jump between black and white and color but follow a transformation of cool bluish purple to warm yellow and bright greens across the gallery space. I wish I had the opportunity to hear his talk because it feels like there’s a lot wrapped in the blanket of his work.
Joe Hadden’s Catalyst has household experiments written all over. Some forms are found in trays or large jars, even a pet’s tank, suggesting a modern domestic alchemy. The pieces beg to be active explosions and transformations, yet sit very still on pedestals or hang stagnant on the wall. The colors and shapes are fossils of some exciting discovery cut short.
Bryan Perry’s installation of Who’s he when he’s at home? is enthralling. Photographs from space all the way to spices in the kitchen hang mid air, overlapping and complimenting their neighbors as a story unravels. Prefacing the series of photographs with the question “who’s he when he’s at home?” forces a narrative to mind as you follow the Google stalk search into someone’s yard, then inside their doors and windows, to inside their rooms and paraphernalia. The move from wide space to very close up offers a bit of agoraphobia within the narrative, by the end you want to get back out of this house, but you’re too intrigued by the potential inhabitant of the home.
Out of the Blue 