WHAT IF THIS CITY WAS A MOUNTAIN?

Andy Curlowe (Cleveland, OH)

In residence: November 21, 2014 - February 6, 2015
Opening Reception: Friday January 30, 2015, 6:00 - 9:00 PM
On view at SPACES: January 30 - March 27, 2015

Photo Catalogue Video Catalogue

WHAT IF THIS CITY WAS A MOUNTAIN? fuses the technical and realistic aspects of the terrain modeling of late 19th century Swiss and Austrian relief artists (Xaver Imfeld, Paul Oberlercher) with representing the unknown, as the Royal Air Force did in WWII. Cleveland-based artist Andy Curlowe will reimagine the city of Cleveland--which, topographically-speaking, is a ridge, river valley, and lake--through its architecture. The creation of steep cliff facesare informed by office buildings and salt mines, ridge lines by bridges and streetlights. Curlowe's realistic rendering of a non-existent place encourages viewers to reflect on their relationship with the actual city.

Curlowe explains, "I'm interested in juxtaposing the miniature sublime and the viewer, who, by scale, would be the omni-element confronting a new domain." Informed by large-scale architecture, and made from synthetic material, the terrain model embodies in itself a presentation of pseudo realitymade by industry to evoke the sublime on a small scale. The process of this endeavor involves mapping and then casting this new terrain in a model for exhibition.