New Work Miami: A Price on Poems

Oct 14, 2010 by Diana Poussin

September 16, 2010

Miami Art Museum

Those who believe the Miami art scene is deteriorating are severely mistaken. The Modern Art Museum’s new exhibition, New Work Miami, is here to show us that with change comes astounding innovation. New Works Miami is an ongoing exhibition showcasing the works of 35 Miami-based artists. The art show began July 18 and will run through October 17.

On the evening of September 16 the MAM opened its doors for a special evening of auditory sensations to go along with the incredible collection of visual works in the exhibition.

Luckily the works truly left a lasting impression of sight and sound. The big thrill of the evening was one very talented young lady named Felecia Chizuko Carlisle, a Miami-based artist who ravished the barriers of sound and technology with her captivating work, Flash Orchestra. In a massive, empty room, amidst her laptop, two comrades, and hurdles of projectors and cables, Carlisle sat in the middle, directing a series of images that consumed every bare wall. Paired with Carlisle’s soundtrack of supermarket scanning, airplanes, trains, bombings and other wacky imaginings, the digital universe was able to bear resemblance to evening skies on the countryside; only the art lovers were bathed in the light of projectors, not stars.

Along with the positive reinforcement of technology, the exhibition served as home to many works critiquing the fast paced environment in which art is born and then forgotten. Art magnate Simon de Purywas the subject of a multi medium piece that was both engaging and concerning. Pury’s life-sized cutout stood alone and thoughtful in the middle of the entrance, his gaze directed at a stack of magazines and other works. Pury’s cardboard twin appears fully engrossed in the ephemeral qualities of today’s art as his voice is played by a CD player attached to his feet. The CD plays a voice track laced with ridicule that can only be directed to the couple in the corner of the room trying to deeply conjugate a meaningful comment about a meaningless piece.

As part of a treat to the night’s guests, The Poem Depot showed up fully equipped with click-clacking typewriters and imagination at the cost of a small donation. Many passersby were guilt-tripped into buying a poem from these charming artists since the night was pleasant and the bar was fully stocked with scotch. One did get a few kicks from the romantic and spontaneous idea of being whipped up a poem on demand.

After being charged an entrance fee and then coerced into leave a couple of bucks for the “writers in need,” one had to wonder if putting a price on art is just another easy way for the mundane to get by and the amazing left to be heaped onto the pile of transient art.

Regardless, the exhibition is booming with works of merit that deserve recognition and endless hours of contemplation. There are three walls covered in flies for God’s sake, taking flight and reminding the spectator that art is indeed subjective.