The San Diego Union, September 24, 1992, section Night and Day
CRITIC'S CHOICE by Neil Kendricks, Art Critic
The best installation art doesn't just draw the viewer into the space; it embraces him or her, sometimes as a part of the piece. IN/SIGHT '92, several exhibitions of installations scattered throughout the San Diego/Tijuana region, tries to follow in this tradition. This pilot project to a large-scale proposal has all the markings of a great idea.
The group of installations on display at Mission Brewery Plaza feels incomplete, however, a three-dimensional collection of rough conceptual sketches rather than a series of fully developed projects. While the artists each have been given a good deal of space to work with, most of the rooms are simply used as framing devices to present work that could easily have been shown in a more conventional gallery setting.
There are exceptions, such as Lynne Hendrick's installation, "Disposition," with its subtle and unobtrusive presence. Her changes to a room are minimal and practically invisible, until you notice the rectangular panes of glass installed in an overhead girder. It's here that Hendrick has placed a mixture of found and sculptural objects: bits of mold and scraps of metal exemplifying the already-stark quality of the room.
Seen as a whole, Hendrick's "Disposition" is akin to an exhibit box filled with miscellaneous evidence - remnants to unknown rituals or artifacts unearthed during an archeological dig. It's here in this quiet room of mysterious connections that the viewer is offered a provocative hint on how an installation can effectively use a space. Hendrick doesn't simply opt to fill in the dimensions.
CRITIC'S CHOICE by Neil Kendricks, Art Critic
The best installation art doesn't just draw the viewer into the space; it embraces him or her, sometimes as a part of the piece. IN/SIGHT '92, several exhibitions of installations scattered throughout the San Diego/Tijuana region, tries to follow in this tradition. This pilot project to a large-scale proposal has all the markings of a great idea.
The group of installations on display at Mission Brewery Plaza feels incomplete, however, a three-dimensional collection of rough conceptual sketches rather than a series of fully developed projects. While the artists each have been given a good deal of space to work with, most of the rooms are simply used as framing devices to present work that could easily have been shown in a more conventional gallery setting.
There are exceptions, such as Lynne Hendrick's installation, "Disposition," with its subtle and unobtrusive presence. Her changes to a room are minimal and practically invisible, until you notice the rectangular panes of glass installed in an overhead girder. It's here that Hendrick has placed a mixture of found and sculptural objects: bits of mold and scraps of metal exemplifying the already-stark quality of the room.
Seen as a whole, Hendrick's "Disposition" is akin to an exhibit box filled with miscellaneous evidence - remnants to unknown rituals or artifacts unearthed during an archeological dig. It's here in this quiet room of mysterious connections that the viewer is offered a provocative hint on how an installation can effectively use a space. Hendrick doesn't simply opt to fill in the dimensions.