Exhibition Review: REWIND: 20th Anniversary Show
André Kertész (1894-1985), Group of four men in trunks sitting on a ramp, 1914, Gelatin silver print mounted to paper, printed 1914.
Written By Emily Capone
Edited By Jana Massoud
Established to create a dialogue between renown and unknown artists of both modern and contemporary acclaim, the Bruce Silverstein Gallery opens its 20th Anniversary exhibition, REWIND, for view. Each section features a masterful collection of photographs from artists who have entrusted their art to the gallery since its initial opening in 2001; this tribute comes at a time when museums are hoping to create a physical sense of dialogue between the artist, the museum, and the viewer.
As “immersive experience” galleries become more popular owing to VR technology and digital graphics, the rest of the art world takes on the ever-evolving task of fashioning interesting and innovative gallery experiences while paying homage to the traditional style of viewing. In this way, REWIND is a physical experience of artists young and old, contemporary, and established. It is just as immersive and, in my opinion, will set the tone for many photographic exhibitions in 2022.
August Sander (1876-1964), Jungbauern (Young farmers), Westerwald, 1914, Gelatin silver print, printed c. 1970 by Gunther Sander.
Constantin Brâncuș i (1876-1957), Bird in Space (black marble) , 1931-1936, Gelatin silver print, printed c. 1936.
While the “immersive experience” may be unique and exciting, there is nothing quite as powerful as the real thing, the stability of each frame, the dialogue shared between artists, the tangible feeling of each print - each of which plays a large role in this exhibition. Images are a snapshot into a place where no one can return physically. What triggered that shot? we wonder. Why then? Each section within REWIND is curated with purpose, and each artist, while seemingly different in style, share certain similarities, starting with Aaron Siskind (b.1903), whose images emphasize abstract expressionism. Siskind’s black-and-white images have an element of physical arrangement, as in Chicago (1949) and, while not as fluid in motion as with Barbara Morgan (b.1900), co-founder of Aperture Magazine, ’51, abstract expressionism is a key element threaded throughout, an example being Morgan’s Outer Space, 1960. Andre Kertész (b. 1904), whose work was featured in many publications and exhibitions, including solo exhibition at Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, focuses primarily on postwar photojournalism with a combination of movement and abstract elements throughout his work, and Group of four men sitting in trunks on the ramp, 1914, fits into this dialogue of abstract expressionism and movement with poise.
Aaron Siskind (1903-1991), Martha's Vineyard 4 , 1950, Gelatin silver print mounted to board.
Juxtaposed to these famous and groundbreaking artists renown for creating and setting the tone in the art world, are the more modern artists, the artists from different backgrounds who recreate fluidity and movement. One such artist in this exhibition is Shinichi Maruyama (b. 1968). Maruyama uses water and ink to recreate the memory of writing Chinese characters with sumi ink, as in his image, Self Portrait, 2006 from his exhibition, Kusho, which was exhibited at the Bruce Silverstein Gallery from Jan 17 – Mar 22, 2009. “I know something fantastic is happening,” he says, “[it is] ‘a decisive moment’, but I can’t fully understand the event until I look at these captured afterimages […].” In conclusion, movement doesn’t need to be experienced solely as an “immersive experience” through VR goggles or animation. Instead, REWIND creates its own trajectory through time and space, via conversation between each artist, the physical location of each piece, and the viewer.
Explore a collection of over 100 artists from past and present exhibitions in the Bruce Silverstein 20th Anniversary exhibition, located at 529 West 20th Street in the Chelsea Art District, New York, NY. REWIND will be on view from December 16 – February 22, 2022.
