Look, But Don’t Step On, the Shadows
Throughout any given day, light and dark perform a dance. Windows and bulbs illuminate dim corners; objects cast shade on walls and floors; trees and sunlight reflect the day’s weather.
Psychologically, shadows can cast darkness on the psyche. Artistically, they can create a new visual perspective.
“It’s only when we are comfortable with the darkness that we can truly appreciate the light,” says Shilpi Chandra, who curated Pelham Art Center (PAC)’s Shadows exhibition, on view through March 26.
Shadows features the work of eight artists: Elizabeth Knowles, Nate Lewis, Sa’dia Rehman, Tara Sabharwal, Mona Saeed Kamal, Madhvi Subrahmanian, Tansy Xiao and Yeon Ji Yoo.
Chandra explains that she chose artworks that “represent psychological or physical dimensions of shadows, some of which are obvious and others more subtle.” In all cases, the shadow is a component of the work, whether thematically or artistically.
PAC Executive Director Charlotte Mouquin adds: “The show examines shadows in ourselves and in society. The works resonate on deep personal levels…and bring an artistic voice to reflections on immigration and racism in America.”
In the show, altered photographs, an installation of burnt paper trees and x-ray images are all used by artists to reshape the viewer’s perspectives of dark and light.
In Sa’dia Rehman’s War Zone 1 installation, the shapes of warplanes and drones are burnt into delicate paper. The interplay leaves negative space – “a shadowscape around the work, echoing the artist’s impressions of chaos and suffering.”
In Madhvi Subrahmanian’s Walk and Chew Gum photography series, shadows conceived in chalk and ink markings on New York City sidewalks contradict one another – “the gridded containment of the city and the many expressions of constant change and movement.”
Elizabeth Knowles utilizes x-rays in her site-specific installation to form three-dimensional bird-like objects. Functionally, X-rays send light through the body to reveal the shadows of internal structures. In Night Vision, the artist “exposes dynamic patterns of physiology, life and death.” Of her installation process, Knowles says that she “begins with the most simple and builds to the more complex…connect[ing] one fundamental element with another and another and another until a more intricate whole is formed.”
Rather than being taken for granted and (literally) stepped on, Chandra would rather the presence of shadows “be appreciated for what it shows us in greater detail, both psychologically, about ourselves, and in our environment.”
A March 2 virtual exhibition walkthrough and discussion will take place on Zoom with Chandra and exhibiting artists.
A version of this article first appeared in the March 2022 issue of ArtsNews, ArtsWestchester’s monthly publication. ArtsNews is distributed throughout Westchester County. A digital copy is also available at artsw.org/artsnews.
About ArtsWestchester
Founded in 1965, ArtsWestchester is New York State’s largest private not-for-profit arts council. The leading funder and advocate for the arts in Westchester and Rockland Counties, ArtsWestchester works to create an equitable, inclusive, vibrant and sustainable community in which the arts are integral to and integrated into every facet of life. Building on its 60-year legacy, ArtsWestchester advances arts and culture by providing grants, bringing artists into schools and community centers, advocating for the arts, and building audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. ArtsWestchester enriches the lives of everyone in the community and operates a multi-use gallery and home for the arts at 31 Mamaroneck Ave. in White Plains, New York.
