October 6, 2014
Image from devorahsperber.com
Devorah Sperber's Thread Spool Works combines innovative materiality with a scientific examination of the ways in which our brains process images, all while reinterpreting iconic pieces of classic and pop art. Sperber uses stainless-steel ball chains and multi-colored spools of thread to create upside-down, low resolution reproductions of familiar images. Viewers are invited to first experience the piece with the naked eye and then through a clear acrylic sphere. The sphere inverts the image and condenses the spool "pixels" into a known, recognizable image. Sperber says of her work, "This shift in perception functions as a dramatic mechanism to present the idea that there is no one truth or reality, emphasizing subjective reality vs. an absolute truth. As a visual artist, I cannot think of a topic more stimulating and yet so basic, than the act of seeing--how the human brain makes sense of the visual world." We particularly like Woodstock, 2010; Superman, 2010; and her most famous work, After the Mona Lisa 1, 2005, an incredible rendition of the enigmatic Mona Lisa based on the study of facial recognition.
Be sure to check out Sperber's website to view her full catalog of works, including those in other mediums--beads, chenille stems, map tacks, and more. Join our conversation on Twitter and tell us about your favorite @kinderMODERN.
Image from devorahsperber.com