Hiding things in plain sight

Rather than a cursory glance, "Cella" deserves intimate study to dig deep into its mysteries

By David A.M. Goldberg
Special to the Star-Advertiser

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 10, 2013

~~<p>In a way it's unfortunate that "Cella," Phoebe Cummings' large-scale sculptural installation at the University of Hawaii Art Gallery, is supplemented by two video projections: one a time-lapse video of the project's construction, and the other a slideshow of photographic stills that offers some insights into the production process. There was a time when a work like this, a careful and subtle expression of mass, weight and space, could simply stand — or in this case, hang — on its own without media crutches.</p>
<p>Here's what you will see: a large, brown, organically textured structure suspended from the gallery ceiling by a system of cables. It could be made of mud. It could be made of fabric. It could be aa lava from Hawaii island. Lit from below, the snaking mass looks like a floating island.</p>
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In a way it's unfortunate that "Cella," Phoebe Cummings' large-scale sculptural installation at the University of Hawaii Art Gallery, is supplemented by two video projections: one a time-lapse video of the project's construction, and the other a slideshow of photographic stills that offers some insights into the production process. There was a time when a work like this, a careful and subtle expression of mass, weight and space, could simply stand — or in this case, hang — on its own without media crutches.

Here's what you will see: a large, brown, organically textured structure suspended from the gallery ceiling by a system of cables. It could be made of mud. It could be made of fabric. It could be aa lava from Hawaii island. Lit from below, the snaking mass looks like a floating island. Login for more...