Blinded By The Light ~ BanderasRojas

This is the final post (so he says) of my experience at Sevilla's Center for Contemporary Art's exhibition, "Abstraction and Motion." In a future post, I'll be sharing images of the architecture and gardens of the Center. Come to think of it, I may have a little more art to share, as well. So, let me adjust my opening statement slightly: This is the final post of the parts of the exhibit I physically interacted with. If I share any more art, it will be more straightforward displays. You may have caught on — since this is the third post on the subject — that I really enjoyed this special exhibition.

AN APPARITION?

We four — Adela, Rocío, Alberto, and I — nearly walked by the curtained room containing this work by Anthony McCall. McCall, born in 1946, is an avant-garde artist who specializes in projected film. This specific piece is part of a series of works that are simple projections that emphasize the sculptural qualities of a beam of light.

AN ETHEREAL ROCÍO.

You don't need to know any of the preceding to enjoy and appreciate the experience of his art. As I mentioned, we nearly walked right by the exhibit. When we entered through the heavy rubber curtain, we found ourselves in a dark room where a spotlight was being projected from one wall onto its opposite. 'Big deal,' I thought. And then I noticed an apparition within the light. A very friendly museum employee came in and told us kindly to "Go into the light." We hesitantly did so. And everything changed. Oddly, staring directly into the source of the light did not blind us even momentarily. We noticed that the projecter traced an outline around the spot on the wall and the outline slowly disappeared only to be slowly "redrawn." The spotlight itself remained at all times. The experience of being within it was fascinating, uplifting, other-worldly. I don't know how long we stayed, however I know we didn't — any of us — want to leave. But we did. I guess it just wasn't our time to go entirely into the light.