PROFILE
Stages also features Kasten’s artistic practice in other media besides photography. Her mid-1960s work considers the art of craft. In 1971, Kasten worked with sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz in Poland through a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship. Seated Form considers the imprints the human body leaves behind, showing the viewer three different chairs with textiles in varying shapes on top. Photographs on the wall show a female body in various positions with the chair. Here, the architectural forms come through in the shapes and swells of the both the body and the chair. “I am happy that the book and the exhibition show that I have been involved in interdisciplinary mediums throughout my career,” said Kasten. For this version of Stages, Kasten also created a site-specific piece, a projection of floating cubes that spins on a corner wall of the museum, changing colors as the viewer watches. At different turns, the projections shift, becoming two-dimensional and then three-dimensional again. Kasten established a great synergy with the Los Angeles curatorial team. “Bennett Simpson is an insightful, creative and experienced curator who was pleasure to work with,” said Kasten. “He considered my opinions and those of Alex Klein, the originating ICA Philadelphia curator of Stages for every step along the way. We had an excellent collaborative experience in creating an interesting interpretation of the show in the unique space of the MOCA PDC.” Commenting on the nature of abstraction in an increasingly digital age, Kasten emphasized that what comes first is perhaps not the medium but the content. “The digital process is a technique that can be used to affect content but does not define photography,” Kasten said. “There are still many ways to use photographic properties in making art. In fact, the digital technology may be inspiring more mixed media and experimentation than before.”
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