Photo : Anders Sune Berg, © Olafur Eliasson, courtesy of the artist; Vitamin Creative Space, Guangzhou; neugerriemschneider, Berlin; Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York
There is something alluring about the work of Olafur Eliasson. His excursions into the structure and physics of human perception play off of our desire to distort assumptions about the material world. Eliasson is comfortable creating work at the Kantian border of beauty and the sublime. Using the formlessness of light and color, he creates objects that are not so much freed of form but reflect a visual effort to erase their trace. His work is often seen as a blend of asceticism and scientism — exactitude, distance, and experimentation, never quite shaking its ever too obvious mathematical (Field Theory in action) features. But after a while, symmetry loses its appeal.
You must log in to read this text! It’s free and no purchase will ever be required. Create an account or log in:
Please note that Editorials, Digital Residencies, Videos, and Archives are always free to access.
Want more? Some content is available with a Digital or Premium subscription only (Features, Off-Features, Portfolios, Columns).
