The Mount's Blog

In French Ways and their Meaning Edith Wharton wrote: “The French are persuaded that the enjoyment of beauty and the exercise of the critical intelligence are two of the things best worth living for.” We at The Mount are all “French” in that respect, and we have the “enjoyment of beauty” part sewn up quite nicely by spending our time here in this beautiful setting. The second part we address through our varied and always interesting programs and exhibits. The newest exhibit at The Mount, Interacting with History: Xavier Veilhan at The Mount has been featured in this blog before, but now the world outside of The Mount’s blog (yes, it exists!) is writing about it too. The New York Social Diary has photos of the opening party, and Art in America has an interview with the artist.

The Mount’s own arts correspondent writes:

“As visitors make their way throughout the house, wandering in and out of both public and more private spaces, Veilhan’s unquestionably modern works have been consciously placed to create a dialog between old and new. ‘This show is based on pieces interacting with an historical environment,’ Veilhan explains. ‘The sequence of rooms allows visitors to create their own response to my work, piece by piece.’

Taken together, the eight works on view are an excellent snapshot of Veilhan’s extraordinary interdisciplinary oeuvre – he is actively working in different media at all times. Examples of figurative and abstract work, photography, kinetic sculpture, mechanical inventions and dreamlike video installations are sited throughout the house. Although they draw on a wide range of subject matter, they share his fascination with the possibilities of representation and issues of perception. Veilhan purposefully leaves his pieces open to interpretation. ‘I am more interested in what people will feel than in what I want to say or express,’ says Veilhan.

Unique among contemporary artists, Veilhan often makes historical references while maintaining his own distinctive style. He is known for using generic or historically identifiable subjects as a starting point, but utilizes cutting edge, computer-aided technology to strip away details, resulting in strikingly minimalist, geometric forms. The memory of the identifiable figure or object remains, but Veilhan cleverly erases or blurs details, and the finished work confronts viewers with an emphatically modern twist. Veilhan also frequently draws on his fascination with mechanical systems, technology, and the beauty and complexity of spherical shapes and spinning objects.

‘I love it when making objects becomes an adventure,’ says Veilhan. ‘The objects may be small or large, figurative or abstract; they may draw on craftsmanship, folklore, architecture and landscapes, art, or design. When the creators of old objects and paintings touch me, I hear them whispering in my ear, and I find this capacity for communication across the ages immensely soothing.’”

The works will be displayed throughout the house until October 31, 2010.