BOLDTYPE ISSUE #53: Artwork By
Barbara Bloom
The cover image of this issue is a detail of a photograph by conceptual artist Barbara Bloom. The piece, which documents her sculpture Safe, is currently on view in a retrospective of Bloom's work, which runs through May 4 at the International Center of Photography in New York.
A sculptor who often relies on the fleeting coincidence of images, text, and public events, Bloom feared that a staid museum retrospective might fossilize her work into banality. Sidestepping such artistic mummification, Bloom embraced the idea of representing her work in neat displays coupled with explanatory labels, modeling the exhibition catalog after the catalogs of elite auction houses. This format perfectly reflects the nature of Bloom's artistic process, which is largely based on accumulating images, objects, and ideas and subsequently reusing them in sculptural installations.
The Collections of Barbara Bloom was published by the International Center of Photography and Steidl. Conceived and designed by Bloom, the catalog serves as the cumulative artwork of her museum retrospective. Art critic Dave Hickey contributed the introductory essay, and Susan Tallman wrote the catalog texts.
Safe is indexed as entry FR. 32. The sculpture is comprised of a film still from Alfred Hitchcock's 1964 film Marnie, depicting kleptomaniac Tippi Hendren breaking into a safe, and hung to conceal a small wall safe.
Safe is a visual play on the practice of hiding security safes behind paintings; though the safe itself is hidden behind the framed photograph, the content of the image reveals the safe's exact location. Additionally, the most valuable objects found in private homes are often works of art, and Safe is no exception. The question posed by Safe, then, is: would it provide adequate shelter for valuables, or would the work need safeguarding itself?
Bloom was born in Los Angeles in 1951. Her work, which is represented by Tracy Williams, Ltd., has been shown all over the world and was included in the 1988 Venice Biennale and 1997's documenta X. She is the recipient of numerous awards and currently lives and works in New York City. - Adda Birnir
