Dan Graham’s work primarily focuses on the notion of time, spectatorship and the phenomenology of viewing, questioning the psychological effects of architecture on the spectator. Graham has deployed a variety of media in order to pursue his investigations, ultimately questioning Guy Debord’s “society of the spectacle”: a society obsessed with the media, often mimicking the same interpersonal dynamics that can be found in a TV reality show.
Graham’s 2-Way Mirror Cylinder Bisected By Perforated Stainless Steel (2011-2012) is one of the latest outdoor pavilions designed by the artist. These architectural structures frequently play with the viewers’ perception and understanding of both inner and outer space. The design of the pavilions, and the two-way mirrors within them, create unexpected reflections and explore the voyeuristic act of simultaneously watching oneself and being able to watch others. They also question how we move and operate in the public sphere: a dimension that both alienates and seduces us.
Dan Graham (b. 1942, Urbana, Illinois) lives and works in New York. Recent solo exhibitions include Pavilions (Lisson Gallery, London, U.K., 2012), Dan Graham (Protocinema, Istanbul, Turkey, 2011) and Dan Graham presents New Jersey (Portikus, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 2009).
2-Way Mirror Cylinder Bisected By Perforated Stainless Steel, 2011-2012
Installation
Exhibited at the Bluecoat
Liverpool Biennial
55 New Bird Street
Liverpool L1 0BW
Liverpool Biennial is funded by
Founding Supporter
James Moores