Michael Genovese: Language as Icon

Michael Genovese is a visual artist concerned with the iconic dimension of language: what is beyond the mere meaning of a group of words.


His projects (installation art, painting, engraving) are created having in mind not only the consecrated space of an art gallery - sometimes it is the open space of a street (or the closed space of a subway car). It makes sense: if you are interested in language as a sign, then you have to think at the universe where these signs live.





What makes language iconic? Here are some ideas:

• it addresses some specific categories of people (social or ethnic groups) and restricts the access for some other specific categories (Llamada Ahora! Ingles por favor! No hablo espanol);
  
• it communicates something out of the blue (Just because it's legal doesn't make it right);
  
• it is attached to a specific object and intends to transform that object in a symbol (especially when it's done with the ellegance that characterizes the art of Michael Genovese);
  
• and there are some other reasons, surely :)

(Contemporary Art)