Lot Essay
THIS WORK IS ACCOMPANIED BY A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY SIGNED BY THE ARTIST.
'A FORMER STUDENT OF PHILOSOPHY, SLOMINSKI FIRST FIXED ON THE MOTIF (OF TRAPS) DURING HIS ART SCHOOL DAYS WHEN HE BEGAN TO COLLECT AND THEN COPY OR RECONSTRUCT VARIOUS TRAPS. HE CLAIMS THAT THE DISCOVERY OF THIS "SCULPTURALLY ENGAGING" MOTIF OFFERED HIM A VEHICLE THAT "UNITED" HIS PHILOSOPHICAL AND ARTISTIC CONCERNS. REALIZED OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, THE TRAPS APPEAR TO BE ENTIRELY FUNCTIONAL (APART FROM A FEW CHARMINGLY IMPROBABLE DETAILS) AND, INDEED, ARE LITERALLY COCKED AND READY TO SPRING. THEY ARE DESIGNED, WE ARE TOLD, TO CATCH OR KILL SPECIFIC SPECIES - BIRDS, BUTTERFLIES, SKUNKS, SNAILS, RATS - THOUGH IT IS READILY APPARENT THAT THESE FANTASTIC CONTRAPTIONS BEAR LITTLE RESEMBLANCE TO THE TRAPS ACTUALLY MANUFACTURED TO CATCH SUCH CRITTERS. SLOMINSKI'S "REAL" PREY IS THE GAZE OF THE VIEWER - WHICH THEY INEVITABLY SNARE, ALONG WITH ATTENDANT AESTHETIC HABITS OF MIND.
ONCE THE VIEWER GRASPS THE SLOMINSKIAN VERSION OF THE FORM-FOLLOWS-FUNCTION PRINCIPLE, THAT OLD BAUHAUS CONCEIT (NOT TO MENTION THE PURELY AESTHETIC GAZE) GROWS A BIT WEARY. ENGAGED BY THE FORMAL, SCULPTURAL ASPECT OF A SLOMINSKI TRAP, THE VIEWER'S GAZE IS LURED INTO THE DEVICE'S DANGEROUS CORE, THE "AESTHETIC" HEART OF THE WORK, A READY VICTIM THAT CAN BE COUNTED ON TO GO FOR THE BAIT' (P. FREY, "ANDREAS SLOMINSKI," ARTFORUM, NOVEMBER, 1998, P. 105).
'A FORMER STUDENT OF PHILOSOPHY, SLOMINSKI FIRST FIXED ON THE MOTIF (OF TRAPS) DURING HIS ART SCHOOL DAYS WHEN HE BEGAN TO COLLECT AND THEN COPY OR RECONSTRUCT VARIOUS TRAPS. HE CLAIMS THAT THE DISCOVERY OF THIS "SCULPTURALLY ENGAGING" MOTIF OFFERED HIM A VEHICLE THAT "UNITED" HIS PHILOSOPHICAL AND ARTISTIC CONCERNS. REALIZED OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, THE TRAPS APPEAR TO BE ENTIRELY FUNCTIONAL (APART FROM A FEW CHARMINGLY IMPROBABLE DETAILS) AND, INDEED, ARE LITERALLY COCKED AND READY TO SPRING. THEY ARE DESIGNED, WE ARE TOLD, TO CATCH OR KILL SPECIFIC SPECIES - BIRDS, BUTTERFLIES, SKUNKS, SNAILS, RATS - THOUGH IT IS READILY APPARENT THAT THESE FANTASTIC CONTRAPTIONS BEAR LITTLE RESEMBLANCE TO THE TRAPS ACTUALLY MANUFACTURED TO CATCH SUCH CRITTERS. SLOMINSKI'S "REAL" PREY IS THE GAZE OF THE VIEWER - WHICH THEY INEVITABLY SNARE, ALONG WITH ATTENDANT AESTHETIC HABITS OF MIND.
ONCE THE VIEWER GRASPS THE SLOMINSKIAN VERSION OF THE FORM-FOLLOWS-FUNCTION PRINCIPLE, THAT OLD BAUHAUS CONCEIT (NOT TO MENTION THE PURELY AESTHETIC GAZE) GROWS A BIT WEARY. ENGAGED BY THE FORMAL, SCULPTURAL ASPECT OF A SLOMINSKI TRAP, THE VIEWER'S GAZE IS LURED INTO THE DEVICE'S DANGEROUS CORE, THE "AESTHETIC" HEART OF THE WORK, A READY VICTIM THAT CAN BE COUNTED ON TO GO FOR THE BAIT' (P. FREY, "ANDREAS SLOMINSKI," ARTFORUM, NOVEMBER, 1998, P. 105).