Seen It: Zoe Strauss @ ICA

I mentioned previously how I was planning on attending Zoe Strauss's opening of her Ramp Project at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Lady and I went over to the ICA for the first time and were both blown away by the exhibit.

We searched around for a bit wandering through the ground level pieces and ended up in a back room where I spied a staircase which could be a ramp and sure enough, that was it. We started walking up the ramp and I could see it, the inner side of the huge translucent blowup of the woman hitting her crack pipe. It's qutie incredible. It can be seen on the east side of 36th St, best viewed from slightly further up the street to minimize that huge tree. About thirty or so photos line the next ramp leading up to another set of rooms. In the landing area in between the ramps there's a slide show projected onto the large wall of Zoe's photos.

As we were walking up the first ramp, I started to look for Zoe. I've only seen a couple photos of her and a short video of her. I heard a voice and I thought it could be her. She was talking to someone, but I thought fuck it, she said to butt right in so I did. I tapped her arm and she turned around and she somehow knew it was me without me saying a word. We hugged and chatted for a sec and then I let her get back to the rest of her many many fans there.

Art's a very subjective thing. Honestly, I dislike most contemporary art. I just don't "get" it. A lot of that is my fault. But I just have a hard time relating to the vision behind a tangle of bicycle chains or a video of a picnic. It's just not me. I "get" photography and I love me some photographic art. Zoe's work is wonderful. It is documentaritive [is that a word?], novel and just simply beautiful. I know that many people don't "get" photography. I know that even more people consider photography "fine art" let alone, god forbid color photography! My heavens! How crass! Fuck you. But, then again, fuck me for not liking Jackson Pollack, right? Fuck everyone. Wear a dome.

Getting back on track... Take a stroll though Zoe's world and read up on what she's up to. If you like what you see, head on over to the ICA [118 S. 36th St] and see it in person. If you don't like her stuff, there's always tangles of bike chains, holograms, dioramas, shopping bags, picnic videos and much more fun art at the show.

After the May 16th PA Democratic Senate primary [vote Chuck!] I plan on heading up to NYC to see her 2006 Whitney Biennial work which is going on through May 28th. But before that, her "Under I-95" show is on for May 6, 1p - 3p, under the I-95 ramp at Front & Mifflin Sts. That should be a blast.

This girl is everywhere!

Comments

[Matt]

She's amazing. I think that what the Biennial curator said in that video is so true -- there is a warmth behind her shots, a love for her neighborhood and its characters, that clearly shows through. So many of her shots take my breath away -- I'm pretty sure that "documentaritive" isn't a word, but I know what you mean. Her work is like the photographic equivalent of cinema verite. I find it to be really inspiring.

Yee is #1.