“The hardest thing to see is what is in front of your eyes.”–Goethe
In what will become one of the standout shows of the season, the MoMA is presenting the first museum survey, To Look Without Fear, of the artist, Wolfgang Tillmans opening on September 12th. Curated by Roxana Marcoci, MoMA’s Senior Curator of Photography, the exhibition takes us on a serendipitous exploration. While the journey begins chronologically, the various mediums, juxtaposition of works, manners of display, and installations–all reveal an artist with deep curiosity and a tenacious commitment to freedom.
Now in his 50′s, Tillmans’s career has spanned the 1980s to the present. He began his explorations in a time before the internet when the use of a photocopier machine, video cameras and audio equipment had a different relevance than today. While his creative approach to art has adapted with the times, the common thread throughout his oeuvre has always been his humanistic sensibility.
When asked about his work, Tillmans told a group of us that one should not “come to these pictures with ‘W Questions’ (why, what, when, who) but rather with ‘H Questions’–how?” The how this work makes us feel, how it connects us with others, and how it inspires–are some of the questions Tillmans asks of us.
But as we all know…each of us will have our own unique experience engaging the work, wandering the rooms, and creating our own meaning. No matter what an artist asks of us, or curators tailor for us, sometimes the hardest thing to see is before our eyes. –Lane Nevares