Notions of Public: Art by M. Simon Levin
M. Simon Levin’s artworks are often interactive and site-specific in nature. Using varying media and materials, the artist seeks out notions of public space, creating his artworks with the help of many participants over a period of time.
Whispering Volumes (installation view)
Simon’s body of work tends to evolve around seemingly contemporary concerns and ideologies, like the sharing of images online in 2008 project Glocal, or the public relationship to fresh water and river systems, as in 2003’s CHART. Sometimes, the works are specific to Simon’s own west coast Canadian locale, and other times the ideas represented are relevant on a global scale. I enjoy the level of versatility in Simon’s portfolio, and the way that the artist seems to begin with a concept before anything concrete materializes, allowing him to select the medium that best conveys the idea.
As discussed in our previous feature, many of Simon’s works are academic explorations of the ideas presented therein. The artist doesn’t purport to have answers to the questions he raises – leaving audiences to formulate their own hypotheses.
