Currently At The Flatiron Prow Space | Diana Lehr : Surfing Beneath The Surface

In the most recent installation Cheryl McGinnis has brought another first to the Flatiron Prow Space with the video work of Diana Lehr. Lehr’s video loop titled “Surfing Beneath The Surface” follows a fallen Maple leaf caught in the current of a swollen winter stream.

This idea of just beneath the surface is subtly powerful. You could not pick this leaf out of the water without getting your hands wet. If it were on the surface one could likely pick it off the top of the water while only getting a little water on your fingers. Beneath the surface, reaching for this leaf would require you to stick your whole hand in the water.

No longer connected to the tree, the leaf finds itself under the influence of a different force of nature. In a similar fashion we leave our home everyday, become immersed in our commute, and inevitably get caught in the flow of life. This leaf becomes a metaphor for our daily human experience.  This feels especially true in the dense urban setting of Midtown Manhattan. 

Lehr uses a mix of high speed video and slow motion playback to help us see details that can not be observed in real time by the human eye. This helps us see the things that happen in between the moments we do perceive. By slowing down the high speed video, Lehr allows us to feel the leaf’s undulations and changes in speed as the stream pulls It along. The abstract patterns created by the reflections on the water and the visual texture of the pixelation add a dreamy quality to the experience.

The construction scaffolding in Manhattan can be oppressive. It disrupts our visual and physical space as we move through our day. To find such a transformative destination amid the thicket of uprights and cross braces is a treasure. The installation is on view through February. Make sure to find time to make it by the Flatiron Prow Art Space. Located on 23rd Street between 5th Ave and Broadway. 

©️Jamie Ballay 2020