Objects in Space

See here 22 spaces and objects placed within. These photos show a range of visual thoughts I’ve been exploring to inform my installation project this spring.

Here’s a couch on a couch. I’ve always been interested in miniatures, whether it’s from the standpoint of games like Dungeons & Dragons, which I grew up with, or seeing items like dollhouse furniture and gaming terrain for their inherent  sculpture. I like the way these small representational items capture the ideal version of everyday things in life. They also inspire me in things that I’d like to try, such as tilt-shift photography and 3D sculpture. I wish Lawrence had a class on digital sculpture!

I placed this location and item here because I’ve been at odds with my camera gear and photography for some time. There’s something in me that just can’t be bothered to do the things I used to do. This is a Nikon D850, and I have lugged it around on photoshoots from China, Africa, to Monterrey, Amelia Island. (See transient spaces and my vehicle below.) When I put the effort in, I can be a very serviceable photographer, but then I think about sitting down at my ancient 5-year-old MacBook Pro, fiddling with the cards, sifting through Lightroom, post-production, clickety click, click click click. I’m an expert with photoshop, or at least I was five years ago. I shot this entire project on this DSLR, but when it came down to it, I ran around and reshot all the spaces with my iPhone because the thought of spending 10 more minutes of my life in Creative Suite after 25 years of bloodletting from Adobe gives me hives.

Spooky!

This dollhouse is interesting to me because it doesn’t exactly fit the what I think of as a location for installation art. I keep thinking I could do something related to the spaces in the toy, and then the toy itself could be part of another space. Space inception!

I find the dollhouse’s walls attractive in the way one finds a derelict building that they’ve snuck into attractive. The small child’s graffiti, to me, makes this room more real than some of the fake-feeling institutional environments I interact with on a daily basis. 

So I was driving to (or from—it was 30 years ago) Amy Kiker’s house after making out with her for, like, 19 hours. I drove a black 1984 Camaro, and it was cop-bait—it basically had become standard for the Texas Highway Patrol to stop my chapped-lipped ass every time I passed through that part of town. But this time, I had a knife in the broken glove compartment. Why did I have a knife? I was 18 and it was the early 90’s. Who didn’t have a buck-knife in their glove compartment? Anyway, I kind of like the horror element that is produced by what are essentially two children’s toys. (Yes, knives were children’s toys in the 80s/90s.)

Get a load of this pie. Listen to them birds. (I think there’s a pun here about getting a piece and being at peace, but I’ll leave that to you, dear reader.)

I am interested in how my creativity has been shaped by my life as a fairly peripatetic individual. There’s something to be said about a game system that relates to my childhood and how it’s made the trip with me after all this time. (Something, but I don’t know what…)

I think a lot about filling my house to the rafters with art, Vincent van Hoarder style, then never going outside again.

Here’s a House on a House!

I like the transient nature of this, a representation of a house that doesn’t move, driving down the highway. It parallels my Lawrence career, too—as an older student living off campus, there’s a definite disconnect from the people and facilities, and a large part of my life right now consists of trying to be in two places at once.

The ball pit is kind of interesting as a space. There’s an interesting contrast between these two items—the balls are fun and soothing to relax in (if you’re under 4 feet), but the bird is sharp and poky. Yet, they’re both annoying as hell to just have sitting around because I’m either constantly stabbing myself, or chasing balls around the house. RELEGATED TO THE ATTIC!

Speaking of attics: I showed the dollhouse in the attic because the color and light values of this cedar closet interest me. There’s a richness to the dusty old room that feels very chiaroscuro to me.

I included this because I like the gaudiness of it. It makes me think of the space where rich old men stand around and smoke pipes and talk about discovering treasure in the Andes. If I could find access to something like that, I think it would be interesting to juxtapose gaudiness and cheapness with that setting.

This is the same idea as above. Think pig sculptures standing around Gentlemen’s Adventure Guild style, smoking cigars and drinking brandy.

Bathroom space is interesting, but I would like to see it removed from its intended purpose, made comfortable and inviting somehow.

The idea of 3D printing furniture and home accessories in miniature and displaying them in the larger world is interesting to me. I’m considering using small furniture in the back of a U-haul, though I would want it to have visual impact that doesn’t get lost in that of a large space.

 

Filthy lucre in a rustic basement.

Swarovski hand-shaped crystal cut glass display dish.

(Yeah ok, it’s just a glass pie display from Target.)

Our home has four fireplaces. Only one can still be lit. The rest are cool holes in the wall. I think they’d make great art-focuses or small installations. I’d love to do something that feels framed by a cathedral reredos or reliquary for some artifact or something like that.

I really included this as a bit of a color study because the warmth and pop of green really appeals to me. (Pun intended.)

I still like the idea of a walking around with a shower curtain on my head. Do you think my fellow students would let me invite them in and baptize them? (I’m not sure the baptisms would stick since I’m a heathen, though.)