UNTOUCHABLE
I have had the privilege to sit quietly with many of
Idith Levyïs works from they
UNTOUCHABLE series and, as a
result, have grown to view them as symbolic keyholes
into the psyche. One peers into each piece as if
crouched behind a locked door, intent on grasping what
lies on the other side. However
hard we may try to view
the room in its entirety, through this tiny aperture, we
are always unsuccessful. The individual elements
 reveal
themselves slowly and distinctly
swatches of color,
texture, light, pattern, and form emerging from shadows
and just as quickly receding from our vision. As a
result we are left to coalesce these fragments into a
cohesive whole in our mind.
Such is the mystery of memory evoked not only with the
above scenario, but, more importantly within these
works. Faded, mutable, imaginary memories can be as
vivid as yesterday's meal or barely perceptible. All are
continually diminishing and because of this the outlines
of our history remain both an enchanted and sometimes
disquieting entity within us.
As one peers into each scene within this series we
receive essential fragments, or cues, which are
strikingly emphasized by the expansive space surrounding
them. No less of a story without extraneous elements,
these negative spaces powerfully recall the confines of
the mind as one reaches back in pursuit of individual
and valuable extractions. Evoking residual joy, guilt,
ambivalence, shame, or a combination of these emotions
and more, our recollections hearken beyond the present
residing in the stillness of one's past, or the ache of
an untold future and perpetually shape the story of
one's life.
Each of the artist's visions imparts a sense of the
fleeting nature of our experiences and the memories
which either empower or cripple us depending on what
power we afford to them. I invite you to peer into these
distinct universes and draw forth, for yourselves, your
own story.
Megan Paquette.
Magen Paquette is a writer and a curator based in
Orlando Florida. |
