Upon first seeing Jennifer Barlett’s Exhibition at The Drawing
Center, it was not initially engaging to me. I walked quickly through the
gallery, and surmising I was bored, I moved on.
That, however, is what it feels like to be in a hospital; impatiently bored, but always waiting.
The back gallery itself was cold, painted a deep
blue; a color that typically invites tranquility but only added to the feeling
of dispassion. The imagery in the pastel drawings felt removed and detached: demonstrating the procedural decisions one must make. There is a sense of numbness that is enduring; you find it becoming your coping mechanism and it is the same feeling derived from these drawings.
I did not like the drawings and maybe still do not like
them; they contained no sense of activity- but perhaps that is the point. Barlett illustrates the waiting game that marries with a hospital setting. Even if there is a flurry of movement going
on around you, you are actually doing nothing. Only waiting for something to
happen.
The perspective of being in an interior and looking to out
to the exterior symbolizes the neutrality a hospital represents. You can see the beautiful view, the beautiful life that is going on
outside of the hospital, but you never have access. That union only happens when you
exit: either alive or in a body bag.
Your structure is very good. From first feeling of boring to the final love of the pastel drawings, the idea is very clear and coherent. I can see you have strong personal preference in this exhibition. You conveyed your feeling of this show very well. But I think maybe you should give audiences some further explanation about your idea. Because the taste varies with the individual and sometimes it’s not very convincing enough.
ReplyDelete