Paroxysm
Labels: copyright gae savannah 2006
Contemporary Sculpture and Installation in new materials
The sculptures of Gae Savannah are not what they appear to be. Loud and bright, they couldn't be more conspicuous; and yet they also hide, cherishing a lonesome interiority under a veil of spectacle. Their psychic work on the viewer is subtle and slow; at first, the large sculptures seem imposingly grandiose and saccharine, while the smaller ones look like pretty, innocent objects d'art, what used to be called "conversation pieces." But a half-hour in their presence has us caught in a revaluation of our aesthetics and a re-experiencing of our vexed culture of makeup and models and ornaments. At the first sight of "Angelique," a sophisticated reader might dismisses the sculpture as decorative (which is equivalent to calling a painting a "mere" illustration), or embrace it as sweet and harmless. Once you've done so, the weird glitz of the work is no longer a threat, and the seduction begins. You come to love the thing, and then feel a bit guilty for your initial reaction — so the blossoming footstool has got you, ethically and aesthetically. ------------Jamey Hecht, PhD, writer, American Book Review, Splash magazine, FromTheWilderness.com
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