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March 14, 2007
Spencer Finch, meet Erich's Lamp Shop
I've written a lot here about how a light-and-space historical survey show is overdue given how much light art is in the zeitgeist right now. One of those zeitgeist shows is a Refract, Reflect, Project, a collection show at the Hirshhorn. Spencer Finch's Cloud (H2O), a recent Hirsh acquisition, is included in the show.
When Finch is at his best, he makes beautiful installations that stand on their own. In his less-good work he creates installations that require a lot of background knowledge about his process, his inspiration for the piece, and so on. Finch knows this is an issue in his work and talks about it near the end of a podcast-available Q&A with Hirshhorn curator Anne Ellegood. (Cool idea Hirsh folks -- more museums should do this. It's cheap and easy.)
In a related story, and from the Lawrence Weschler-inspired file of convergences, compare Finch's Cloud (H2O) with an Erich's Lamp Shop, the derisive nickname East Germans had for the light installations at The Palace of the Republic. (The building was home to the East German parliament, government offices, bars, cafes, a bowling alley, and was a venue for Communist Party events.)
Related: Spencer Finch's website.
Posted March 14, 2007 12:25 PM
