Joel Coen / Peek: Optical Haiku

Well-known master of large-scale cinematic composition and narrative, filmmaker Joel Coen now invites us into a private world, one where he takes quiet pleasure in handcrafted origami-like optical viewers, each one containing a three- dimensional image. Coen has been creating these objects during breaks between his larger projects over many years. Similar in function to antique stereopticons of the19th century, he combines his own stereo-photography with other collected objects and images to create a three-dimensional collage. The frank intimacy of this viewing experience invites direct communion between an audience of one and the artist.