They Were Here

2009 - Installation (Installation)

Elisheva Biernoff

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In her recent work, Biernoff is interested in investigating fictions and fantasies embedded in the remnants of consumer culture (for example magazines) or through ephemera such as postcards and old photographs. Although the imagery present in her work might seem nostalgic upon first encounter, Biernoff’s complex tableaux often reveal the artist’s skeptical look towards her subjects matters. They Were Here (2010), constitutes a clear example. The 16 ft long tableau confronts the viewer with a seemingly paradisiacal scene: a tropical deserted island with white sands and blooming trees appears to be a coveted destination. However the scene quickly turns into a dystopian image, once one pays attention to the small details camouflaged inside it: an erupting volcano or a dead bird. Biernoff places a pair of binoculars in front of the painting to reinforce this idea. Looking through their fake mdf lenses, the painted landscape is rendered blurry. The whole scene acts up as the backdrop of a theater act and the prop quality of its elements suggests a certain lightness associated with utopian dreams.

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Elisheva Biernoff’s work engages and reconsiders the tradition of painting in an interesting way, often taking source material from media or recreating photographs through a careful trompe d’oeil technique. Thus, her work engages in the discussion of re-representation through painting, not aiming to portray any given reality faithfully but rather as the ideal way to engage with a subject matter that explores the intersection between myths, fictions and fantasies. In some cases, her works also address particular ecological concerns.

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Colors:

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• eden.n.01
• look.n.02
• dystopia.n.02
• popular.s.04
• fiction.n.01
• utopia.n.02
• art in art
• photorealistic
• visual perception
• contemporary traces of memory
• figurative art
• miniature and small-scale paintings
• american