Robert Ladislas Derr: New Work: Keep An Eye On

To most of us, a scanner is used for archiving documents and objects, but for Robert Ladislas Derr, the scanner becomes a tool in his art making. A performance artist who is generally known for his use of video and photography in unsuspecting ways—Derr turns his media toolbox topsy-turvy to best express and represent his ideas.

The work title Keep An Eye On comes from the subject matter; Derr used the scanner to capture a box set of antique prosthetic eyes.  Pulling out this set of prosthetic eyes that he purchased from a retiring optometrist some twenty years ago, Derr thought about the function of the eye in forming an image. Our eye gathers light to form the images around us much like a scanner.

One thing led to another, and Derr found himself scanning the eyes to capture the amorphous eyes in the photographs. With light being the source of vision, it is interesting to see the scanner’s light reflected onto each of the prosthetic eyes. In Derr’s words, “This reflection reinforces the simulacrum at play.”

An exhibition of Derr’s work would be remised without the presence of video, and Derr took this idea of seeing to his video camera. In the video, he allows the camera to see the prosthetic eyes. We witness the video camera as it struggles to focus each of the eyes with a soundtrack that underscores the tension.