Tribeca, New York
Group Exhibition
In Praise of Shadows
Jacqueline Sullivan GalleryCharlap Hyman & Herrero with Pilar Almon, Madeline Coven, Kelly Fung, Claudia Girbau, Pina Bruno Grizzo, Calvin Marcus, Shin Okuda, Nick Poe, Rooms Studio, Wretched Flowers, and a selection of historical design “In making for ourselves a place to live, we first spread a parasol to throw a shadow on the earth, and in the pale light of the shadow we put together a house.” In Praise of Shadows, inspired by the Japanese author Jun'ichirō Tanizaki’s essay from 1933, investigates the way in which the simple practice of illuminating our homes profoundly shapes our human experience. To light a room is not merely the act of toggling an electrical switch or drawing a curtain. A diverse range of textures, materials and surfaces allow for a myriad of articulations and utterances of light. As if exquisitely choreographed, a flickering candle elegantly dances upon the smooth, glossy finish of black lacquerware or the sinuous threads of an embroidered silk wallcovering. Through an artful practice of revealing and concealing, the room contains bold declarations and tacit secrets. Opacity and translucence gently converse. The dark corners of a room are as salient as their lit counterparts. Artists and designers thoughtfully responded to Tanizaki’s text through conceptual and technical expressions in lighting, sculpture, textiles, furniture and objects. Utilizing a variety of materials – metal, rice and washi paper, enamel, bamboo, lacquer, ceramic, raffia, animal hide, automobile paint – each work demonstrates an acute sensitivity to the nuanced enunciations of light and shadow.