Lauren Ploof and Tim Irwin definitely take the prize for current event satire. Lauren's piece was set in the office. It was a commentary on todays conformity in the workplace. The desk had a computer shell stuffed with all sorts of commercial items that someone might want to have in a days work. Even more interesting and shocking was when you move further down the desk. Upon opening the drawers you get a little perspective to this 'uniformity.' there are dozens of pill bottles, booze and books on female masculinity to be found. I think they represent how people deal with conformity.
Margaret Cuff had one of the more elaborate pieces. Hers was a very interactive piece that discussed cancer and its effects as it had a very strong impact on her. At the entrance, you are told to pick a carton of cigarettes. After you move down a cigarette gilded tunnel and have to choose a path. It was at this point that i realized these were the lungs. as i walked down the path into the left lung, I saw Pictures of women from the roaring twenties holding cigarettes. They morphed into disgusting blobs of red mess obviously depicting the degradation of the lung after smoke. The right lung obviously paints the picture of her grandmother. There is a black lace wrapped pack of cigarettes and a classy deville on the wall. On the floor was a lung. It was a shocking experience overall and very personal.
Ashley Rombough had one of the crazier projects in the gallery. Hers was very interactive as well. You walk through the cloth drape into the room that immediately cries out "Operation!" It's an Operating room complete with rubber cadaver and everything. The head and legs are covered leaving just the chest open. real life procedures are projected on the chest from above. The body was kind of creepy to touch, as it had a slightly more dense feel than a real body, but never the less, the looks on peoples faces as they stepped out of the operating room were priceless.
Tim Irwin's scene was among my favorite. It deals with current issues in a 3D cave atmosphere. It is a meeting between post apocalyptic now and the days of the cavemen. In Tim's cave, we see cave paintings of the stock market crashing, the death date of various metals, stick figures with red ties spearing a blue outlined bull (a little political comic here) and the plagues. Scattered around are spray cans which tie the cave paintings to current day graffiti. The skeleton on the floor is definitely Tim's signature on the piece as it has his token hat plastered to the head.
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