“My ideas hinge on the physical and psychological presence of the viewer. In many ways, it becomes about the event of looking and a consciousness of placing oneself in a figurative, constructed and utterly subjective "landscape". The conceptual framing of my work is understood sensorially, as an extension of one's body. Vision by its very definition implies distance, but I'm more interested in the act of looking as imposing, deliberate, and not passive.”
—Teresita Fernandez
From November 2–30 1996, Teresita Fernandez transformed the Soho gallery space of Deitch Projects to look like an empty swimming pool. While the work did not include water, Fernandez conveyed the impression of a pool by employing aesthetic totems commonly associated with one, such as a soft blue color and structural forms like small staircases and tiles. The present lot continues to explore many of the themes that permeate Fernandez's 1996 exhibition.
Much of Fernandez’s art revolves around the relationships between people and space, and what these relationships can explain about the human condition. As she explains, “the most important parallel for me between landscape, architecture and sculpture has less to do with what something looks like or its sheer size and more to do with an ambulatory viewer. The work is always understood by a viewer on the move.”
This is prominently exemplified by the artist’s exhibition at Deitch: as viewers moved through the installation, they observed the concept of a space dedicated to experiencing art merge with a space for swimming. The mimetic nature of the work encouraged viewers to grapple with their preconceived notions about these spaces, each removed from their stereotypical setting. In turn, the manners in which humans interact with and experience spaces were brought into question.