Arga 1995 by Thomas Frederick McKnight Prints and multiples, Serigraph 32 x 35 in 1995
I see one of his prints and I immediately think of the 90s. One of the most famous US contemporary artists, Thomas McKnight’s style is easily recognizable. Mcknight has said about his process, “...I try to create symbolic reality that can serve was a catalyst for emotions - nostalgia, joy, the sadness of time passing.” Among his well-known fans were the Clintons.
L'Hôtel, Chambre 47 by Sophie Calle photographs and ink 84 x 56 in 1981
When I have a lot on my mind, I like to go for a walk and “disappear” into my surroundings. It’s a great way to lose yourself, being the fly on the wall is both liberating and insightful. Sophie Calle uses voyeurism as her paintbrush in her 21-part series to explore identity, emotion and intimacy during her time as a chambermaid in a Venice Hotel in 1981. Not only did she photograph these hotel rooms, she deduced stories for each guest based on her findings, even going as far as rummaging through wastebaskets to collect letters and other contents.
Homage to the Square by Josef Albers Oil paint on fibreboard 30 x 30 in 1965
Switching gears a little, we have this minimal yet moving piece from Josef Albers, an influential German-American artist with strong roots in Bauhaus during the 1920s. In 1950, he developed his series Homage to the Square, paintings dedicated to hundreds of variations of the square nestled within one another to showcase the power of simplicity of color and composition. When he started his series, he said "Every perception of colour is an illusion... we do not see colors as they really are. In our perception they alter one another."
