Denuded Lens by Roxy Paine | Yellowtrace

Denuded Lens by Roxy Paine | Yellowtrace

Denuded Lens by Roxy Paine | Yellowtrace

Denuded Lens by Roxy Paine | Yellowtrace

Denuded Lens by Roxy Paine | Yellowtrace

Denuded Lens by Roxy Paine | Yellowtrace

Denuded Lens by Roxy Paine | Yellowtrace

Checkpoint, 2014, Maple, aluminium, fluorescent light bulbs, acrylic prismatic light diffusers, 14′ x 26′ 11″ x 18’7 1/2″. Photo by Jason Wyche.

 

Some people. Seriously. Who wakes up in the morning and thinks – “I know what I’ll do today! I’m going to recreate an airport security checkpoint in. One to one scale. From timber. Ripper mate.” Actually, I’m pretty sure that American artist Roxy Paine‘s thought process was a lot more sophisticated than that, but you know what I’m sayin’.

This installation took place at Marianne Boesky Gallery in New York, where ‘Checkpoint’ was the main attraction. Shown alongside timber sculptures of mechanical objects, ‘Checkpoint’ is a familiar and banal scene taken to a surreal place by being constructed entirely out of maple, supported by an aluminium structure, and rendered in the smallest super accurate detail. The scene is complete with X-ray machinery, conveyors, plastic bins, even a pair of trainer, all replicated in timber. Adding to the trippiness of this installation is the fact that the entire scene is rendered in perspective: objects get smaller toward the back, right angles are skewed so that the whole illusion seems to exist between two and three dimensions, inducing a dreamy, slightly dizzying sensation.

As a complement to this large-scale installation, Paine presented examples of his timber sculptures, hybrid machine-like objects that suggest the modern day markers of labor, production, consumption and measured control. As the exhibition title suggested, when considered together, the works in ‘Denuded Lens’ proposed fresh ways for viewing our current environment, prompting us to see the spaces we occupy in a whole new light. Ten points from me.

 

Denuded Lens by Roxy Paine | Yellowtrace

Scrutiny, 2o14, Maple, Table: 33″ x 72 1/2 x 38″, Telescope and Tripod: 58 1/2″ x 40 x 26″, Camera: 6″ x 10 1/2″ x 6″. Photo by Jason Wyche.

Denuded Lens by Roxy Paine | Yellowtrace

Scrutiny, 2014 & Machine of Indeterminacy, 2014. Photo by Jason Wyche.

Denuded Lens by Roxy Paine | Yellowtrace

Scrutiny, 2o14, Maple, Table: 33″ x 72 1/2 x 38″, Telescope and Tripod: 58 1/2″ x 40 x 26″, Camera: 6″ x 10 1/2″ x 6″. Photo by Jason Wyche.

Denuded Lens by Roxy Paine | Yellowtrace

Speech Impediment, 2014 & Machine of Indeterminacy, 2014. Photo by Jason Wyche.


[Images courtesy of Roxy Paine. Photography by Jason Wyche.]

 



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With a disarming blend of authority and approachability, Dana is a former refugee-turned-global design visionary. Through her multi-faceted work as a creative director, keynote speaker, editor, curator, interior designer and digital publisher, Dana empowers others to appreciate and engage with design in transformative ways, making the sometimes intimidating world of design accessible to everyone, regardless of their familiarity with the subject. Dana's been catapulted to the status of a stalwart global influencer, with recognition from industry heavyweights such as AD Germany, Vogue Living, Elle Décor Italia and Danish RUM Interiør Design, who have named as one of the Top True Global Influencers of the Design World and counted her among the most visionary female creatives on the planet. Her TEDx talk—"Design Can Change the Way You See the World"— will challenge and transform your understanding of design's omnipresent and profound influence. Through her vast experience in interiors, architecture and design, Dana challenges the prevailing rapid image culture, highlighting the importance of originality, sustainability, connecting with your values and learning to "see" design beyond the aesthetic.

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