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As a first-time visitor to the John Davis Gallery, I humbly suggest that its motto should be, “Wait, there’s more.” Not that the bi-level space isn’t fine for exhibitions; it is (and Brenda Goodman’s show looked great in it). It’s what happens when you walk out the back door. There’s more.
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Across a sculpture-filled courtyard there’s a four-story carriage house with five more exhibitions. The space has been cleaned out and stripped bare so all that remains are the space with its 19th Century workaday details and, of course, the art.
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When I was there, Ben Butler’s cedar sculptures were in the courtyard. Paintings by Beth Gilfilen and Leticia Ortega Cortes were on the second floor. Suzanne Ulrich’s collage were on the third. And Luis Castro’s wood sculptures were on the topmost floor. Running the length of the elevator shaft was a shimmering installation by Ortega Cortes and Dionisio Cortes, a waterlike but soundless cascade.
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There was other art, too. But what I just noted is what I’m going to focus on. We’ll start on the ground floor and climb up, the installation as our centerpiece.
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The glare you see is the light from the entrance, so this view is one level up and about 180 degrees from from the first one
The installation, called Is Where Space Ends Death or Infinity? , is made from some 25,000 plastic drinking straws that are strung with thread. There are two intersecting planes: one suspended at a slight angle; the other with a catenary curve.
Detail of the two planes below:
I shot this from a small side room, pictured below, so that you can get some of the geometry of the interior. The small rooms--animal stalls in a previous incarnation, or perhaps living quarters for the livery staff?--are now galleries .
Here's a view looking into the room. The paintings inside are by Leticia Ortega Cortes. The painting on the outside wall is by Beth Gilfilen .
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.The small rooms make for interesting bisected views, like the one above. The painting on the right is another Gilfilen. The staircase barely visible in the right corner is shown in profile below: .
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From our vantage point on the stairs we have a good overview of the second floor and the installation in the shaftway
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. Here on the third floor we're at the top of the cascade
.Below, a view looking down .
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Castro's human-scaled forms are so sensuous, and I like their curvilinear relationship to the enormous elevator pulley, below
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Before we head back down the stairs, let's take a look out the low window at left.
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Here's the view into the crisp geometry of courtyard with views of Ben Butler's cedar sculptures, Beat and Pitch:
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6 comments:
Raw spaces can be difficult. Some work is enhanced; others lost. Context matters. Their selection process for the carriage house space looks well considered.
Now I have seen my dream space!
That was very interesting. I almost felt I was there. The installation was really incredible! Thanks.
I have a question. What about if you visit somewhere and you really don't respond to what you see, would you still talk about it?
Or like a burglar, would you move on to find the unlocked house?
Thank you for sharing
This fabulous work with us
See
You
soon
Lovely! Thank you.
Joanne:
I am just cruising though your blogs, primarily interested in the John Davis Gallery. You have truly inspired me to visit, and to visit the Cape Cod Center for the ARTS as well. I have not been there for awhile.
The installation of threads down the staircase knocked me out. Also the way in which you photographed the spaces and the paintings. I love the courtyard sculpture garden and have a passion for finding creative uses for old buildings. I am restoring my fourth 200 year old house. If you ever get to Hanover, NH or Ojai, CA let me know. I am going to try to get to some of your other places in NY. Waves of gratitude for an outstanding contribution. jean.bates@yahoo.com
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