Tuesday, October 16, 2012

R.H.Quaytman

Many aspects of R.H.Quaytman's work relate to the complexity of perception. The imagery within her paintings rage between figurative, architectural, and abstract visual stimulation (i.e. very close radiating lines which appear to vibrate). To me, the most successful aspect of her work is her ability to create depth while also being confronted by the flatness of a line. 

There is also a macro vs micro feel to her work with the way she titles them. For example, her works a the Whitney Museum in 2010 were all a part of Distracting Distance, Chapter 16. By titling all her works by chapters, there is the perception that you're seeing a segment of a larger narrative. Many chapters relate to the location that they are shown in.

The first image, A Woman in the Sun-With Edges, was shown in the Whitney, and the image was photographed in the museum clearly before the making of the work. The Marcel Breuer window displayed prominently in the painting, is located in the museum and even the tittle references a paining and the pose of the nude figure reference an Edward Hopper painting associated with the museum. There is an experienced lost by seeing these works out of their context. I imagine that Quaytman wanted the viewer to realize the flatness of the representation within the painting as they stand in the room being depicted.




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