I am interested in the simultaneity of humor and distress, banality and the possibility of meaning. – Liliana Porter
For decades Argentinean artist Liliana Porter has mined the world around her to create works in a variety of media that address philosophical questions inherent to the human condition. She calls her sculptural works incorporating miniature figures and toys “theatrical vignettes.” In many of these works, the figure is involved in a tragic-comic activity connected to labor or creation, easily identifiable with the role of the artist. In this work, a tiny man unravels a knotted ball of yarn, a seemingly impossible task that exists as a metaphor for anyone who has had to unwind a complicated mess. Major solo exhibitions of Porter’s work include Other Situations at El Museo del Barrio (2019) and a career spanning survey at the Museo Tamayo de Arte Contemporáneo (2009). Her work is represented in national and international public collections such as the Museo del Barrio, New York City; the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; and the Whitney Museum, New York, among numerous others.