Ben Franklin was just about everywhere in Philly, but I think this is my favorite representation of him, on a sticker on a lamppost.
Author Archives: Linnea
Isaac Tin Wei Lin at The Print Center, Philadelphia
Speaking of successful installations, One of Us by Philadelphia artist Isaac Tin Wei Lin is a site-specific installation up at The Print Center that I had a chance to see over my visit to Philadelphia this weekend. The exhibition fills the upper gallery with 2- and 3- dimensional printed and painted works inspired by Islamic calligraphy, cartoons, and current events.
3-D glasses definitely added to the Magic Eye sense of optical illusion created by the bright, small patterns covering the walls. The artist created over 600 screen prints to cover the walls and floor. Between that and being able to walk through the painted cat cutouts, I really enjoyed the installation as a whole, and how well it was constructed to be appreciated from all angles. I also like the glasses because they make me look cool.
I’m surprised at how well the different elements worked together, as what should have been an epileptic cacophony became a really fun, explorative installation that worked–with or without 3-D glasses.
Up through November 20 if you happen to be in the area. I actually saw lots of great art there this weekend, which I’m going to try to write about including the awesome Michelangelo Pistoletti at the PMA.
Pat Steir’s Nearly Endless Line at Sue Scott Gallery
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| Installation Shot–does not do it justice… |
As I noted above, these photographs hardly due justice to the experience of walking through Steir’s installation at the Sue Scott Gallery. The Nearly Endless Line manages to create an energy that is hard to capture without being able to sense all the surfaces of the darkened rooms. There are just two rooms of average size but they seem expansive if not endless. It feels like walking through an Abstract Expressionist painting–a neat experience–and a much warmer one than works by some of her contemporaries like Sol LeWitt.
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| Another almost useless installation shot |
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| Up close: thin red grid |
While the dark lighting smacks a bit of stagecraft, this piece raised the bar for how I want installations to affect me. The precise red grid on the dark background shows off the choas and energy of the white line. Up at the Sue Scott Gallery through January 9th if you want a surprisingly trippy, simple yet immersible art experience.







