Bolande createsartwork in a variety of mediums, ranging from ceramics and found objects toinstallations, paintings, photographs and sculptures. Though much may be foundon Bolande and her work through the Internet, the exhibit itself would do wellto provide more information on the artistin particular, her artistic statementfor the “Landmarks” exhibit.
For thoseencountering Bolande’s work for the first time, there doesn’t appear to be muchcreative cohesiveness to the exhibition. And since the gallery only offerssheets of paper with titles and dates for the art, any interpretation to therelevance of these landmarks remains somewhat obscure.
One intriguing imageinvolves Bolande’s Appliance House(1998-9).Constructed with Kodakfilm, Bolande uses Duratrans material in a stainless-steel light box toillustrate a building backlit as though it is being seen in the evening. Isthis a commentary on where the artist lived, urban housing or architecture? Or,perhaps, is this a voyeuristic look into towering condominiums or cityskyscrapers?
The buildingreappears on the opposite side of the gallery in Appliance House Study (1999),a penciled-in drawing reflecting a NewYork Times newspaper ad for real-estate development. In another area, atiny video screen replays the same building disappearing and reappearing invarious stages on a continuous loop.
No other images seemto relate to this artwork, however, unless one tries to connect anotherinstallation/video depicting a green towel endlessly spinning in afront-loading clothes dryer amid the continual whine of mechanical noise.
One hopes that muchmore could be learned about Bolande’s exhibition, especially when mounted atsuch a well-regarded educational institution. As it stands, the artwork posesmany unanswered questions. What significance do these landmarks have toBolande? And why did she select these items for this exhibit?
