Contemporary art rarely embraces religion, other than to make some fun of it, or to make headlines. A little blasphemy can transform an artist from an unknown to an international star. It certainly worked for , who famously placed a crucifix in a bath of urine back in 1987, setting off a decade of culture wars in America.
But art that explores faith seriously, without evangelizing or dismissing, is hard to come by and seldom as contemplative as the three-part exhibit by the duo currently at
The work, a combination of manipulated, oversized photos and three-dimensional installations, would not purely be classified as religious art. But it does take on the topic by examining the architecture and accessories of Christianity. The pair, who live in , use photographs of aging Catholic missions in the Southwest as the raw material for their finished products.
And it does get at those things that make religion so inviting and so dangerous — the ever-present mysteries, the light and darkness, reverence, intransigence, endlessness. It’s a good stop this weekend, especially if Easter is your thing, but even if it isn’t.
The exhibit’s main show is called “Mission” and it comes from the artists’ travels to the most ancient churches in the U.S. The pair photographed buildings and statues in a straightforward manner, then had their way with them digitally. Perspective is altered as various images are laid on top of one another.
The piece, “Sight Specific,” has two layers. In the background is a shot of a church taken from some distance. In the foreground is an interior shot of a window from the same building. It is a view from the inside looking out, though what you see is the church itself.
Another piece, “At the Fault,” shakes up an interior shot of a hundreds-year-old church that happens to be on the San Andreas Fault in California. It’s a bit literal, with statues appearing slightly askew and a canyon-like white line struck down its middle, but it makes a point about how things — objects and beliefs — can last despite their precariousness.
The effectiveness of the show comes partly from its size. The prints are as large as 44 inches by 175 inches, too big to frame, so the pieces attach to the walls with simple binder clips. But the setting is right, too. Helikon is an old auto shop converted respectfully into a sleek gallery. It is chic, no doubt, but retains the hard surfaces and hollowness of a house of worship.
The exhibit’s second part, “Stations,” is an installation set in a room separate from Helikon’s main gallery. The piece is made of foam, but appears to be constructed from heavy wooden timbers, similar to those associated with the wooden cross Jesus was said to carry to his own execution. Its narrative is remixed into something that’s hard to fathom — things lean, pivot, intersect one another — but the structure is based on the “stations of the cross” that mark the stops on Christ’s last walk as a man.
The final third is directly related. “Rotation” is a series of photos of the miniature model the artists made when creating “Stations.” The shots, taken from all sides, are again collaged together into single images.
This merger of art and architecture is a natural for the collaborating couple. Douglas Kahn is an architect by trade, a former colleague of both and and also the chief of his own office in New York City before moving to Colorado. Renee Alpert is an accomplished artist with an M.F.A. from Yale.
They are the real deal, and so are the pieces they come up with. “Stations” is 9 feet tall and built from plans Kahn drew. While all of the work is rooted in the imagery of sacred domes, arched doorways and iconic statues, the final products can feel more like a painting than a factual depiction of architecture.
In this work, the two disciplines are co-dependent, or maybe better, co-enabling, since they use each other to say their piece. Exactly what they say is in the eye of the believer, or the agnostic.
The overload of religious imagery can feel like kitsch, in that way that people wear rosaries as jewelry; they’re trying to be trendy and irreverent but actually just making a bad, outdated fashion statement.
On the other hand, the objects do invite you to consider the value and strength of a structured belief system. There is a confused beauty to the exhibit.
Alpert + Kahn manage to make religion look alluring and foreboding at the same time. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of this sure and permanent thing in our temporary, undependable world? Though it does look archaic, static — boring even — the work evokes all of those things that make people fall asleep at church.
Religion tugs and torments. Andres Serrano got that part right. But it also deserves respect, a real investigation of why it exists and how it plays out today. Alpert + Kahn get that part right.
Ray Mark Rinaldi: 303-954-1540, rrinaldi@denverpost.com or twitter.com/rayrinaldi
ALPERT + KAHN The artist duo presents new work based on travels to missions in the Southwest. Through April 11. Helikon Gallery, 3675 Wynkoop St. Free. 720-502-5635 or helikongallery.com.
