Clew: A Rich and Rewarding Disorientation, opens at the Lamont Gallery in Exeter, New Hampshire, on Friday, January 20. This is the completion of an 18 month long exploration of ideas with collaborators Todd Hearon, Jung Mi Lee, Lauren O’Neal and Jon Sakata.
I don’t think any of us imagined that this would culminate in a project that is an uncanny counterpoint to the current political landscape in America. (Disorientation can come in many forms after all.) Our collective invitation is an anti-inauguration moment where the disruptive powers of sound, words and images create a nonlinear journey into the unexpected that is playful, provocative and memorable.
In addition to our stated intention, we have also incorporated a number of other concepts that feed into creating a “rich and rewarding disorientation:”
Viscosity: What happens when navigation and comprehension become difficult?
Hyperobjects: How do we suggest constructs that are too large and complex for humans to fully comprehend? (More about Timothy Morgan‘s concept of hyperobjects here)
Dismantling: How can preconceived expectations—about labyrinths, predetermined paths, inter alia—be broken down? (In Jon Sakata’s memorable challenge, “How to dismantle a sacrosanct solutionism to one’s problems by following ‘the’ way.”)
Our focus, like these installation photos, has been on the detailed, close in view. From these parts—made from building blocks of the visual, language and sound—the larger conceptual arcs are being constructed, all coming together by the opening at the end of the week.
Clew: A Rich and Rewarding Orientation
January 20 – April 15, 2017
Opening reception: Friday, January 20, 5-7pm
Lamont Gallery
Phillips Exeter Academy
11 Tan Lane
Exeter New Hampshire
603.777.3461
Looks fantastic Deborah. Wish I could be on the east coast to see it in person.
Thanks so much Tracy. I hope to do some video to capture the soundscapes as well as the visual and languaged pieces.