Sitting unobtrusively, albeit enigmatically, in the back gallery is Aaron T. Stephan's "Building Bridges." The installation appears to be a large wooden crate, and requires a circumambulatory search for entry, which, when discovered, reveals a space much larger and richer than imagined. An arch constructed from books fills the crate, with mirrors flanking the arch that create the illusion of an endless bridge and other reality; a light source from above aids in the otherness of the experience. The books are assembled so that the spines are not viewed, emphasizing their anonymity and their role as nothing more than physical building blocks, suggesting a commentary on the switch to Kindle.
Annie Larmon can be reached at aglarmon@gmail.com.
"AGGREGATE" |MECA Alumni Biennial | through Oct 18 | at the ICA at MECA, 522 Congress St, Portland | 207.879.5742
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Museum And Gallery
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, Institute of Contemporary Art, Institute of Contemporary Art, Institute of Contemporary Art, Matthew Ritchie, Maine College of Art, Maine College of Art, Maine College of Art, Aaron Stephan, Aaron T. Stephan, Aaron T. Stephan, Less
