Nina Beier’s artworks display the familiar in unexpected ways. Beier plays with the concept that “one should not confuse the representation of something with the actual thing”, taking instead the “actual thing” and displaying it in a new context. By framing a jacket or reassembling a destroyed poster, Beier stresses that how she displays her work is just as, if not more important than what she is displaying. In the article, she explains that she encourages new ways of seeing by letting her works serve as “maps” to the stories behind them (stories which may not be so specifically evident in the objects). She intends for her viewers to consider what is out of place, what we don’t see as well as what we see; ultimately, the “visible and invisible aspects of making and creating art”. Our culture tells us that a jacket belongs on a person, on a rack, or in a closet, but not in a frame. Beier combines familiar elements in unfamiliar ways to keep us questioning what we accept about our culture and experiences and why.
Beier’s work reflects the idea that modern art tends to blur the lines between the conventional and unconventional. Unconventionality has almost become convention itself; artists are constantly trying to distort our perspectives on the familiar to draw attention to these everyday objects and reconsider their worth. Subject matter is rarely “classical” or formal; there is a tendency to value the concept or story behind a work over the artwork itself. Beier’s art challenges its viewers to consider these stories, stating “After all, isn’t the best way to describe a story to tell one?” What one finds is that these objects often tell less about their story than if they were represented through more conventional art forms; however, the literalness of the objects she displays evoke stronger personal memories for their viewers, though the experiences vary across the board. Her works are simple, encouraging the viewer to backtrack through the history of the object to the process of how it was made to consider from where the objects presented derive their importance.
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