DAN FLAVIN - A SPACE BETWEEN FAITH AND FUSE.
colored fluorescent light - David Zwirner LONDON.
SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT: Interior space bathed in the fluorescent light of Dan Flavin at David Zwirner, London.
You can feel the works or ‘situations’ on display of the late artist Dan Flavin in the London gallery of David Zwirner before you actually see them - rooms bathed with the reflected light of the installations - which flood the spaces with silent torrents - light licks the door frames, pooling down the stairwell - even mirroring back via the steel elevator doors - like camp Rothko ghost discos - and the stillness is unnervingly tense.
The proportions of Flavin’s works feel bodily tall and statuesque - a vertical procession of sci-fi Giacomettis.
Dan Flavin untitled (fondly, to "Phip"), 1976. Pink, yellow, and blue fluorescent light 8 ft. (244 cm) high - Above image: Anna Arca. Courtesy David Zwimer.
The essence of a deserted city - architectural linear struts viewed in slow motion - a rhythm reduced to a single series of beats - slowed down to its very essence - and how that essence burns - Absinthe strong viewed through the blurry haze of the bottom of a glass with the muffled murmurings of ones self - alone in the bar at the end of the night before dawn breaks - like a Hopper painting - a depiction of the lone figure - the fallen heroic image of American ambition - bare, brave, brazen - the prowess of the Cadillac’s tale lights, the comfort of the illuminated refrigerator interior, the wonderment of Las Vegas.
Dan Flavin untitled, 1976. Pink, red, and blue fluorescent light 8ft.(244cm) wide Edition of 5. Above image: Anna Arca. Courtesy David Zwimer.
The glow of that fluorescent light - rich and full of life - sugar wet - gleaming off the walls - like the opaque lustre of dewy skinned youth - rooms blush with a sweet sinister knowing - the crude colours of a 1960s American Dream - colours that smile with perfect teeth and yet - somehow have no emotion - cherry red, bubblegum pink, sponge blue, spearmint green, lemon yellow and four shades of white described as ‘cool, daylight, warm and soft’ - all feel like the optimistic pre-packaged domestic stuffs found on mid-century supermarket shelves - created in response to a societies growing desire for ease, comfort and immediacy - for a low-fat, high taste holistic experience. Flavins’ work manages to trick you wonderfully into believing that - somehow we are not looking at ready-made - readily available lighting equipment bought wholesale for the needs to illuminate the domestic - rather his brilliance is in highlighting what we cannot see.
Dan Flavin - untitled (fondly, to "Phip"), 1976 - detail. *Flavin described his works as ‘situations’.
It is tempting to philosophically trace possible meanings within the works back to the artists’ faith and his training to become a Catholic Priest - choosing to devote his time to his ‘situations* as an artist instead of the cloth - how intrinsically linked light and faith are - the sacristy lamp - forever burning as a reminder to the faithful of hope in a sin-darkened world. The currency of electricity - giver and taker of life - silently powering our modern lives - unthanked and invisible.
Above image: Anna Arca. Courtesy David Zwimer.
Dan Flavin - colored fluorescent light - David Zwirner - 24 Grafton Street, LONDON - until 18 February.
Thank you Dr. Kyung Hwa Shon for the recommendation.
Special thanks: Shuyu Wen and Sara Chan at David Zwirner London.