These photos can’t accurately capture these silvery, foil-like dresses. The piece by New York-based artist Beverly Semmes, Six Silvers, features six giant dresses hanging from the walls of one of the downstairs galleries at the Henry Art Gallery. Bigger than life size, their existence suggest the feminine presence of some actual giant who is interested in turning it out for a lavish occasion. Semmes’s body of work plays a lot with the ideas of presence and absence, especially through clothing.
In the 1990s, she became known for these large-scale dress sculptures that often filled the gallery with an abundance of material. My only quibble is that I wish I could have viewed this piece in a smaller gallery. I want to choke on the fabric, I want it to overtake me in all its shiny splendor. You work with the space you’ve been given, though, and Six Silvers will never leave the building. The piece is slated to join the Henry’s permanent collection once the show comes down in October.
Beverly Semmes: Six Silvers will be up at the Henry Art Gallery until October 13.
