Ligia Bouton
Six Photographs of People
I Don’t Know
November 6 – January 12, 2007
EVO Gallery
554 South Guadalupe St
Santa Fe, NM 87501
505-982-4610
http://www.evogallery.org
EVO Gallery is pleased to present the latest body of work by installation artist Ligia Bouton. In this exhibition, Bouton appropriates the static imagery of six found photographs in order to evoke the infinite narrative possibilities inherent in each picture, the fissure between viewer and subject matter, and the inevitable manner in which photographs both embody and obscure the narratives of their subjects. Utilizing video, performance, drawing, and sculpture to explore and expose the boundary between fantasy and reality, she constantly reminds us that all of the histories she has created are fictive, and that, despite our desires, these captured figures will inevitably remain anonymous and unknowable.
Elements of painting, sculpture, design, and performance are all implied in Bouton’s work. With a surprising attention to the art of craft, her works are meticulously, and almost unbelievably, hand-made by the artist herself. The viewer is not only presented with a lush field of materiality, but also invited to engage in the performative, theatrical element that breathes vitality into all of her works. Utilizing a dynamic variety of media is important as it serves as the catalyst by which the still image within the photograph becomes a physical presence surrounding the viewer.
From conceptually driven video works to hundreds of pounds of hand-stitched fabrics, the elements of her craft create a physical experience for the viewer, and subsequently a connection of the past to the present. Despite the surreal, dream-like pulse that confidently resides in each piece, there is no attempt to conceal the realistic force responsible for their creation – the “hand” of the artist. The notion of artist as author is reinforced as Bouton continues to appear in each work. As the director of the visual composition, her role is similar to that of a film maker – the creator of the seen image.
Born in São Paulo, Brazil Ligia Bouton currently lives and works in Santa Fe.
