A Thing and its Essence. Joseph Klibansky (by Demetrio Paparoni) Joseph Klibansky’s work examines the relationship between a thing and its essence, between what we see and what an image implies. The sense of precarious equilibrium that can be found in his recent paintings and in his sculptures reveals just how sadly dystopian an image can be that, at first glance, appears happily utopian. It thus reveals how utopia and dystopia can coexist within the same image. Klibansky ventures into the territory of phenomenology and revisits matters related to perception that have fascinated philosophers and art historians, and have equally captured the attention of artists. In his recent paintings, Klibansky juxtaposes architecture with slices of urban and natural landscapes, the majority of which were photographed by the artist himself during his travels. Butterflies, birds, nymphs and impressionist-esque shimmers are mingled with images projected on giant screens, street signs and sparkling automobiles. Although nothing can reflect reality more effectively than a photograph that was taken to remember a place where one has been, in order to tell the truth Klibansky takes advantage of a lie. In an effort to shed light on the formal and conceptual dynamics through which Klibansky approaches his phenomenological investigation, we will first consider the cycle entitled Dreams of Eden, begun in 2014, which symbolizes a turning point when compared with the earlier New Urban Wonderland (2006–13), in which the artist reverberates social condemnation. As we mentioned, Klibansky applies to the surface of his painting numerous photographs that he himself took throughout the course of his travels. While assembling them he alters their proportions and does not adhere to the rules of perspective. Once the formal construction of the landscape has been determined with the help of a computer, Klibansky creates prints on cotton paper, to which... (https://josephklibansky.com/biography) undefined

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