It's art! In boxes!

I got a call from my friend Darrell the other day. He said, “There’s this art installation going on down near Mass Ave.”
“What is it?” says I.
“They’re doing art in these giant metal shipping crates. You want to go?”

Now, I have no idea what constitutes an art installation, and wasn’t really sure exactly how this worked in conjunction with metal shipping crates. I didn’t know how “giant” the size would be, or what we’d be looking at, or why it was so interesting or novel. It would all have been a scheme from which to tempt five dollars from my thin little wallet. I didn’t know.

“Yes,” I said.
Given that I knew nothing, it seemed like I must find out, and now, so shall you.

The basic deal was that they had brought out six of those big shipping containers that you always see out by a dock somewhere. These weren’t crates as you normally think of them. They weren’t square boxes, cubes. These were those big, long, corrugated metal things. The containers open at each end, and they were divided in the middel, so one container would hold two different exhibits.

Here’s an overall view of a few of them:

I wish I had some more images for you, but at art shows it’s kind of a courtesy not to take pictures of someone’s art work (’cause it’s like, you know, stealing!). I was able to get at least a partial view of one of the more interesting ones, and you can see Darrell taking part below.

You actually lay down on this thing (it was explained to be likened to an MRI) and then it carried you prone into the display and then back out. It was pretty freaky. There were some video screens with images being played over them plus jumbled audio messages being played at the same time. It was weird, kind of cool, kind of scary, and definitely met up with some of my expectations for the event. Some of the other displays were nice, but not quite so much what I was expecting. Some of the artists seemed to use the space more as a standard type of display area, and I guess I was expecting a little more wackiness out of the whole thing.

Darrell mentioned that often times an installation is geared more toward the use of the space as a whole and making it into an area of complete expression, a space that defines and identifies itself separate from the area around it. One work that did this pretty well had a curtain over the entrance, and when you went inside the whole friggin’ interior looked like a pine forest! There were tree-like posts set about, the three available walls all had black and white charcoal drawings of the forest, and the floor was covered with real pine boughs, needles, and pine cones. There were sounds piped in of wind and birds. It was pretty cool. The only thing that kind of brought down the effect a little was the fact that it was still daylight, and the inside of the container was warm rather than the coolness that the visuals implied.

There were some that were involved, but didn’t reach so far. One exhibit looked like a front yard leading to someone’s porch. There were flowers and stepping stones and old steel lawn furniture, and the back end of the exhibit even had a real wood front door. It was well done, but, well, you kind of looked at it and went, “Cute. Front yard.” It didn’t really go any farther than that.

Another was set up like someone’s living room, with a bunch of early sixties period furniture. The artist was displaying a number of small paintings on the walls of yet more home furnishings, explaining that she had bought them in some vague fit of nesting, but never had anywhere to use them in her tiny apartment, so she’d painted them, hung the paintings, and then put the goods in storage “pretty much in a container like this one.” She was fun to talk to. Later on as Darrell and I passed by the exhibit again I looked in and saw her and her friend sitting down to eat dinner at the couch at the back of the display, food set out on the coffee table. I got the eerie feeling that I was looking at a living room plunked down in the middle of an empty lot. It was probably the best moment I had during the whole experience where her art became reality for a few minutes.

Overall I had a good time. Since I’d never been to an installation, it was just fun to get out and see something new and different, even if not every exhibit was uber fantastic or mind-blowing.

After we’d taken in the show Darrell wanted to walk around a bit, so we headed down the street and I snapped some pictures along the way:

There was a church nearby, and I liked the look of the sun on the brick. I think black and white would have done a better job with this, but it was fun messing with the angles. Darrell and I as well as some other artists at the show, all remarked that this building would be outstanding as a set of lofts or studios for artists. It’s been empty for quite some time apparently.

Another view of the church with some vegetation gamely vying for living space.

Rigging shop. I just love that sign. They probably sell stuff here with cool names like “turnbuckle.”

Hook. Giant hook. Couldn’t walk by it without taking a picture. I kind of want this hanging in a big workshop. I wish I had a workshop big enough in which to hang it!

Hope you enjoyed the tour, kids. Sorry I’ve not been producing much on my own lately. It’s been a challenge. I’m hoping this changes in the near future. I hope you are all finding some inspiration of your own so that you too can “stay creative.”