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Photos by Marisol Díaz
ABIGAIL DEVILLE’S installation, ‘Harlem River Blues,’ made from accumulated debris, is part of Space Invaders.
Artistic invasion of Lehman College life By Adam Wisnieski awisnieski@riverdalepress.com
ver wondered what the bottom of the Harlem River looks like? It’s not full of fish or tires or sunken boats, but Marble Hill born and raised artist Abigail DeVille’s installation, “Harlem River Blues,” depicts it being piled high with Johnny Mathis and Stevie Wonder records. Ms. DeVille’s grandmother, who died last year after living in Marble Hill for 40 years, was the inspiration for the work, on display through January as part of the Lehman College Art Gallery’s Space Invaders exhibit. The installation is crammed into a small video room at the Lehman gallery and includes the artist’s late grandmother’s belongings and furniture, including dozens of her records. The records, which are scattered on the floor and walls near a picture of her grandmother, can be read as messages. Johnny Mathis’ “Good Night, Dear Lord.” is near an old Chess record of Moms Mably’s “The Funniest Woman in the World.” Kenny Rogers’ single “She Believes in Me” is near Steve Wonder’s “You are the Sunshine of My Life.” The installation is dark and mysterious — a television perpetually broadcasts fuzz in the background — and it mimics an underwater feeling of grief. “She wants you to feel like you’re underwater,” the art gallery’s director Susan Hoeltzel said. But it also brings the viewer into a Marble Hill apartment with roaches and old furniture. Ms. DeVille is one of 18 artists that invaded Lehman College for Space Invaders, curated by Karin Bravin. For this show, which runs through Wednesday, Jan. 9, the college itself became a canvas. While most of the installations are within
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the Lehman Art Gallery’s walls, some spill out onto grounds. At the gallery’s entrance is Rachel Hayes’ brightly colored fabric piece, which moves with the weather. Last week, with a little help from the sun, her piece transformed the gallery’s lobby into a church. ³You walk in here and it’s like stained glass windows,” Ms. Hoeltzel said. In the gallery’s entrance, vinyl decals of small green weeds, created by Kim Beck, look as if they’re growing out of the wall. Outside, DeWitt Godfrey wedged 15 massive steel tubes beneath an underpass on Lehman’s campus. Students can sit on the giant rusted steel ovals or walk through them. Dahila Elsayed installed a series of yellow and orange flags around the schoool’s community garden. The work was not only constructed for the spot, but was inspired by Lehman’s peculiar mascot, the lightning bug. The insects use a call and response, flash and counterflash, to communicate. The flags are emblazoned with words such as “Subtle Signals,” “Loud + Clear,” “Forward Urges,” “Glowing” and “Some Sparks.” After the 18 artists were selected for the installation, Ms. Hoeltzel said they walked around the campus to claim territory. The weren’t any battles over space, but Ms. Hoetzel said, “We had to work with the college on what was possible.” Manhattan artist Diana Cooper chose a corner space in one of the exhibition rooms. “It’s a funky kind of space,” Ms. Cooper said last week, while standing in front of her installation. Instead of ignoring the more utilitarian aspects of the room, including an exit sign and air conditioning vents, she used them in her piece. She took photos of the exit signs and vents, printed them out and placed them nearby. It’s hard to tell what’s real. “I like the fact that you might mistake one for the other,” she said. “Photography’s capacity of fooling you is becoming more and more advanced.” Though the gallery is open, her installation is still a work in progress. She stopped by last week to tweak it.
LISA KELLNER’S installation, ‘The Seepage of Proserpine,’ above, is constructed from silk, thread, pigment, acrylic, ink, resin and bleach. Below is Cordy Ryman’s installation, ‘Rafter Web Scrap Wall.’ Robert Melle’s installation, below left, ‘High Life,’ is made of enamel on imitation wood panels, drop ceiling panels and fiberglass
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