1 of 2
Courtesy of parapet/REAL HUMANS
2 of 2
Courtesy of parapet/REAL HUMANS
In his eponymous exhibition, Jacob Kassay presents found object assemblages made from library books and prismatic glass wedges. The exhibit is the first at the new project space, parapet/REAL HUMANS, located in Tower Grove East and co-founded by Amy Granat and Annina Herzer. Featuring two discrete works parsimoniously placed within the tranquil, former storefront, minimalism and distillation are paramount concerns—encouraging viewers to slow down, look hard, and pay close attention to the complexities that materialize as glass obfuscates, mirrors, and fragments text and images. The two sculptures, both untitled, rest upon hidden shelves, appearing to levitate with the books’ spines pressed against white walls, concealing their titles and call numbers. In each one, a highly polished triangular prism is bookmarked into place, perfectly aligned with the contours of the books’ pages.
Kassay’s process seems simple. He begins with a wedge; its size and angles are arbitrary. Browsing through a library, he searches until he finds a book that is a perfect fit for the wedge, à la Cinderella. As such, it is nearly impossible for Kassay to assert control; the wedge determines the book, not the artist. Although the subsequent sculptures appear effortless, finding a precise match can be a long and arduous task often resulting in hours spent rifling through innumerable books. Kassay likens the process to a hermit crab searching for its shell. Using books that are borrowed from the collection of the University City Public Library, the assembled sculptures are provisional and (to an extent) site-specific—not to the gallery as such, but to St. Louis. After the exhibition ends, the books will be returned to the library, back into circulation.
Kassay’s sculptures are filled with contradictions, and this is part of their appeal. Sleek prisms are inserted and juxtaposed within the discolored, yellowed pages of worn and battered books. Minimal at first glance, these works merit closer examination to reveal the intricacies of reflection and fragmentation. Found text mutates, merging words and forming new, anomalous passages. Edges of pages are distorted and become radiating lines that emanate from central points. In one, Kassay inserts a red Disneyland card with an image of a princess; contained within the pages of the unidentified book, the card appears out of place, an arbitrary whim. Library books themselves are, in a way, contradictory. As physical objects they are both tangible and fleeting. They are material, touchable forms, but our interaction is limited; our ownership is transient.
These subtle incongruities could arguably be lost in a more heavily curated exhibit. As it is, Kassay’s sculptures stand alone, secluded from each other, as distinct works that transcend their pedestrian origins while prisms create thresholds that facilitate reconsideration and contemplation.
Jacob Kassay runs through November 5. parapet REAL HUMANS is located at 2901 Sidney. For more information, go to parapetrealhumans.com.
