Modern Painters
April 2013
“Hugh Scott-Douglas: Blum & Poe, January 12 – February 16”
Written by Emily Ellis Fox
“It was a single still from the German Expressionist film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari that caught Scott-Douglas’s eye: The image uses the unnerving visual technique of mise en abyme, whereby two mirrors face each other, reflecting the same image back and forth infinitely in ever decreasing sizes. The effect distorts perspective and disrupts preconceived notions of space.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is known for its highly stylized, two-dimensional stage sets that reflect the delusional psychology and dream-within-a-dream narrative of its characters, including Dr. Caligari and the murderous sleepwalker he attempts to control. In homage, Scott-Douglas borrows the film’s title, turning the gallery into his own soundstage with installations created specifically for the space. The work manipulates the venue’s layout, mapping out an untraditional, visually disorienting experience…”
For the rest of the review, click here.
