Exhibition - Incandescence: The Chandelier in Contemporary Art

Works by four dozen artists explore the motif and meaning of the chandelier through sculptural forms, photography, painting, drawing, and installation.

The motif of the chandelier serves as a powerful vehicle for contemporary artists to provoke deeper questions about forms and concepts that both beguile and create friction. The fusion of historical associations with contemporary interpretations furthers a dialogue between past and present and exploits tensions between “high” and “low,” particularly through questions of taste. Many of the works included in this exhibition explore juxtapositions of luxury and oppression, consumerism and necessity, elitism and populism. The chandelier is used as a means of critique, while also celebrated as an object of desire, and can represent a metaphorical illumination of the dark corners of history or personal memories, or provide a means of shedding light on forgotten or suppressed narratives.  

Chandeliers first developed in the medieval period from candelabra into multi-branched light fixtures that hang from ceilings. They became increasingly opulent in the 18th century, featuring cascading strings of faceted glass and crystals which scattered light across the room. The elaborately decorated fixtures symbolized elegance and prestige and the extravagantly ornate examples that decorated palaces, ballrooms, and theaters, became synonymous with the wealth and sophistication of high society. Originally, they employed candles and with the progression to oil and then gas lamps and finally electric lights, chandeliers became more accessible in the 20th century, increasingly appearing in public spaces and more modest homes and locations.

However, the chandelier retains an allure, not least due to its distinctive placement above viewers’ heads, a vantage point associated with both reverence and power. Both formally and symbolically, it has captured the imagination of contemporary artists who utilize its distinct form to explore myriad issues, from formal design elements to socio-political concerns. Using the chandelier, artists have investigated aspects of power, social hierarchy, and memory, and have reimagined it both conceptually and materially through various mediums, including painting, sculpture, installation, video, and photography.

The exhibition, accompanied by a 140-page fully illustrated catalog, is curated by Bartholomew Bland, Patricia Cazorla, and Lisa Panzera.

Participating artists:

Deb Achak, Julie Allen, assume vivid astro focus, Liu Bolin, Andrea Bowers, John Bowman, Adrien Broom, Clare Celeste, Lily Cox-Richard, Petah Coyne, David Antonio Cruz, Deborah Czeresko, Marc Dennis, Lesley Dill, Lee Essex Doyle, Lauren Ewing, Gonzalo Fuenmayor, Sunil Garg, Kyungah Ham, Kirsten Hassenfeld, Julie Heffernan, Jean-Marc Hunt, Ran Hwang, Michiko Itatani, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, Brad Kahlhamer, Beth Katleman, Philipp Lachenmann, Jean Lowe, Kaoru Mansour, Virgil Marti, Lizbeth Mitty, Jonathan Monaghan, Andrew Moore, Matt Neff, Brian Oakes, Kayode Ojo, Carlos Rolón, Jeanne Silverthorne, Rachel Tarravecchia, Barbara Earl Thomas, Karen Tompkins, Federico Uribe, Ken Weaver, Charlotta Westergren, Tim Wilson

Support for Incandescence: The Chandelier in Contemporary Art at Lehman College Art Gallery has been made possible in part by our generous supporters including the Charina Foundation, Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation, Edith and Herbert Lehman Foundation, Keith Haring Foundation, The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Art as a Third Dimension, New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and New York City Council Members Eric Dinowitz, Oswald Feliz, Kristy Marmorato, and Kevin C. Riley.

Gallery programing at Bronx Community College is supported in part by the Art and Music Fund of the BCC Association, Inc., the Art & Music Department, and the Office of Academic and Student Success.