This week's blogger is Chief Curator of the CAC, Raphaela Platow. A native of Munich, Germany, Platow has lead the CAC since 2007 after curating art in Massachusetts, North Carolina and Germany. Platow shares her perceptions on art in our community, both in and out of the traditional museum setting.
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Changing Perspectives
Posted By: Raphaela Platow
3/9/2010
On my way to work I sometimes take Reading Road. Yesterday was one such day, and as I was approaching downtown, I saw a young woman standing on the street with a camera. She was photographing Shepard Fairey's incredible murals that wrap around HighStreet's facade.
This scenario is not out of the ordinary--a quick internet search reveals just how many people are engaging with his works in this community, whether through blogs, pictures or scavenger hunts. In doing so, they not only discover Shepard's artwork but they see our city through the lens of his imagery, his thinking, and his messages. His art is his activism. Red, Black, Cream....crisp and clear from far away, yet detailed and layered when viewed up close. Finding, then experiencing, these public works of art becomes a journey of discovery for the entire community. This, to me, was one of the most exciting aspects of bringing Shepard to Cincinnati.
Shilpa Gupta is another artist showing at the CAC right now. She also engages in a form of artistic activism. Using different types of technology, she creates very intimate situations that help the viewer personalize the various messages she articulates. One of the projects we worked on with Shilpa was a t-shirt, which I am wearing today. Earlier, a woman asked me what the writing on the shirt said. I replied, "And I live under your sky, too." After a moment of silence, and still staring at the shirt, she simply responded "yes, exactly." Again, like the woman photographing the Fairey mural, most people are moved in one way or another by Shilpa's work. She is fantastic at getting us to contemplate big ideas in new ways.
Both Shilpa and Shepard are among the contemporary art world's most noted thought leaders, pressing the boundaries of creativity, expression, and activism. And both have created something very special for us here at home. If you encounter a Shepard mural or a Shilpa t-shirt, will it cause you to see things differently? When you visit their shows at the CAC, does it change your perspective? There's only one way to find out.