Peripheral vision is a primary
component of perception. It’s the things we think
we see, what we sense without actually capturing with our
eyes. This idea is also at the heart of the impulse to
make art – to create visions of things that go beyond
direct sight, to engage with the less tangible things that
exist beneath the surface of everyday reality. This is
something that Lana Renfroe addresses directly in her ambitious
installation. She is concerned with the elusive nature
of looking and uses the darkened environment to focus on
the act of viewing.
It is a daring act to make art that relies
upon the subjective experience of others, as at the core
is a sense of trust on both sides of the equation. We
must open our eyes to the artist’s vision as much
as the artist needs to trust in her audience. Renfroe’s
project shares an impulse with artists such as Bill Viola
and Gary Hill, whose immersive environments function
as sophisticated reflections of perceptual phenomenon.
The piece also marks an exciting shift
for Renfroe, who had previously been working in the more
traditional realm of ceramics, creating geometric forms
that explored a more formal sense of purity. Yet perhaps
the use of very different materials – light, video,
mirrors and electronic components – is more logical
than it may first appear. Renfroe’s practice taps
into a basic interest in expressing a vision that in
reality is so difficult to pin down. |
