"Chewing Color"
A. The artists' name(s): Marilyn Minter
B. How many pieces are in the show: Ten pieces, altogether.
C. Describe the location/context of the exhibition space: Minter’s show was displayed on the 4th floor of Contemporary Art Center in Downtown Cincinnati. The video project, paintings, and one photograph were displayed in one large room right when you enter the 4th floor gallery. Photographs are then hung down a hallway and also in a smaller room at the end of that hallway.
D. Describe your perceptions on the content or idea behind the work: After taking some time to examine each piece of Minter’s work my perceptions are that her work is a commentary on the ugliness of glamour and beauty in today’s society. All of her images as well as her video piece depict very brightly colored, glittery, shiny, subject matter juxtaposed with very gritty, raw, almost grotesque aspects.
2. Give Detailed Descriptions of the Following:
A. The method of presentation of artwork (media of artwork, size of artwork, and how it is presented- frames, mats, pushpins, pedestals, etc.) This exhibit includes one very large projected video that almost completely encompasses a 60ft wide white wall. Two large (one 76 x 114 and the other 96 x 60), and one smaller painting (24 x 24) all three enamel on mental mounted on the wall with no framing. And lastly 6 photographs (four 40 x 30, one 30 x 40, and one 86 x 60) all simply printed on photographic paper, allowing the viewer to see the rough edge of the negative and hung loosely on the wall with a large black paper clip at each corner.
B. The nature of the exhibition space (size, shape, ceiling height, formal, informal, etc.) The show is set up in a large room with high ceilings, which allows for the pieces to be spread out throughout the area with lots of white space in between each one. In the diagram below the lighter gray area is the space in which Minter’s show was set up:
C. The type and nature of the lighting in the exhibition space: Very low lighting. Spotlights were used to highlight each piece with a few overhead lights here and there. A small amount of natural light was also coming through the door that leads to the staircase.
D. The relationship of the art pieces to each other (physical and thematic). All of the pieces in Minter’s show are connected by their theme of the beautiful vs. the grotesque.
E. Other external factors (noise level, air currents, number of people in the space, etc.) The video has a looping soundtrack that can be heard throughout exhibit, other then this there is very little ambient sound. One noise I did notice to be very prevalent was footsteps. The air was very calm and cool and there were only a handful of people there at any given point in time.
3. How the Presentation Method Affects the Art (use the back, if necessary)
If you feel that the method used to present the work supports and enhances its meaning to the viewer, clarify the criteria upon which you are basing this opinion. If you feel that the method used to present the work detracts from and weakens its meaning to the viewer, clarify the criteria upon which you are basing this opinion.
I believe the method used to present the work was very effective in supporting and enhancing Minter’s concept to the viewer. The bare raw nature of the space the show was exhibited in only helps to focus the viewers attention. There are no lights, sounds, or images to distract the viewer from what they are supposed to be looking at and interpreting and because of this I think it makes Minter’s message much easier to interpret.
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