Cayetano Ferrer’s window installation, “Registration/ Alignment,” can be viewed in the storefront window space of the Thomas Robertello Gallery at any time of the day, though it is most impressive at dusk. The light radiating from “Corner Crystal #2,” the central installation piece, highlight the hard edges of the simple cube structure and draw attention to the grounding element. The tile floor is composed of black and white squares that form a modern spiral motif, and provide a visual stimulation that is simultaneously jarring and hidden. “I look for pieces that puzzle and confuse me, but offer a point of entry,” says gallery owner Robertello. The installation does contain a puzzling aspect—a minimalist take on spatial identification through the illusion of shifting boundaries. Ferrer’s intention to restructure the built environment is entirely dependent on the viewer’s point of perspective and alignment with the piece. The beauty of this redefined Rubik’s Cube stems from the ease in which the viewer can enter the work. There are multiple points of entry and constantly changing focal points that speak to themes of constructed boundaries, overwhelming excess and compartmentalized knowledge in any given space. Ferrer’s work is a reminder that a minor shift in perspective can change the way we view the world. (Shama Dardai)
Through August 30 at Thomas Robertello Gallery, 939 W. Randolph.
Lost in Translation: A Review of Crip* at Gallery 400 The strongest works in the exhibition succinctly express the ways the artist relates to their own body while calling out how the artist’s body and body of work has been perceived or coded against norms or ideals.
