The Eyes Have It

The graceful line of the eye and its colors, and its leading place in our senses has intrigued thepainter and sculptor from antiquity to today's art movements. For eons the eye performed wellfor humans and animals, receiving and signaling perceptions and, now, in its new host ? amachine's screen. Each work in the "The Eyes Have It" explores the eye in a human, predatory, ortechnological context. Interlocking themes encompass ageless associations from classicalmythology to today's...
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The graceful line of the eye and its colors, and its leading place in our senses has intrigued thepainter and sculptor from antiquity to today's art movements. For eons the eye performed wellfor humans and animals, receiving and signaling perceptions and, now, in its new host ? amachine's screen. Each work in the "The Eyes Have It" explores the eye in a human, predatory, ortechnological context. Interlocking themes encompass ageless associations from classicalmythology to today's threat of cyber-surveillance. The artists also contrast the strength and weakness of the human eye with the power of the animal eye - the watchful, predatory owl and the peacock with a thousand "eyes" set within the sweeping train of its tail.The eye remains a symbol of power, protection and rebirth, a symbol that dates back to themost ancient civilizations. A talisman against evil, a harbinger of observation, and a comfortingsign of God's watchfulness, artists have always incorporated the eye into portrayals of humanendeavor. Today, the eye continues to enthrall artists: its powerful associations and captivatinggaze are coupled with its roles as the physical embodiment of sight and as visual metaphor forour need to see and be seen.Artists include: Humaira Abid, Rodolfo Abularach, Derrick Adams, Carlos Aires, Janine Antoni,Firelei Báez, Gina Beavers, Angelica Bergamini, Huma Bhabha, Zach Blas, Justin Bower,Francesco Clemente, Julie Cockburn, Peter Combe, Esperanza Cortes, Diana Corvelle, VanezzaCruz, Timothy Cummings, DAS INSTITUT (Kerstin Brätsch and Adele Röder), Dennis Delgado,Dale Dunning, Lauren Fensterstock, Stephen Frailey, Carla Gannis, Laurent Grasso, GregoryHalili, Peter Hamlin, Valerie Hammond, HoruX, James Jean, Laura Karetzky, Katherine Knauer,Fay Ku, Caroline Larsen, Ted Lawson, Lysiane Luong, Civil Milieu, Marilyn Minter, Felek?an Onar,Tony Oursler, Alex Prager, Joseph Raffael, Jamel Robinson, Dan Schaub, Sima I. Schloss, LaurieSimmons, Chris Smith, and William Villalongo"The Eyes Have It" was organized by Bartholomew F. Bland and Laura J. A. De RiggiThe catalogue of the exhibition is published by Lehman College, City University of New York