Installation is a form of art that combines the elements of environment with area and perception; it is the usage of different sculptural materials to alter the way we view a certain space. This was the idea behind the most recent Art 500 Installation Exhibition, which is showcased at the beginning of each school year. This year, the exhibition was held last Sunday, Sept. 20, from two to four in the afternoon. The Art 500 students uncovered their installations in the Cochran Bird Sanctuary for the public to view throughout the afternoon, and where students, teachers and parents alike strolled in to admire the completed pieces. Enclosed within the tranquil natural foliage, these various pieces explored the art of modifying the way we perceive different areas of the Sanctuary. In places we would normally overlook, students set up captivating infusions of nature and works with varying themes and messages. “The challenge I presented to the students was to subvert a plain situation or idea within the Sanctuary using Installation art. This is when an artist is responding directly to the environment with his or her own thoughts and ideas; it’s a dialogue between nature and the artist,” said Therese Zemlin, the Art 500 instructor. In order to perfect their “dialogues” with nature, the students logged many hours of work and the end result was nothing short of fantastic. One installation by Larry Zhou ’09 featured photographs hanging from a circle of trees. Arranged in a very neat and organized manner, the pictures displayed everyday office objects such as staplers and thumbtacks, and even included a portrait of Steve Carrell from the popular TV series “The Office.” “My piece is supposed to exhibit a contrast to how office spaces usually contain soothing photos of places we want to be in, whether it’s on the tropical beaches of the Caribbean or camping out in an isolated forest. The fact that these pictures are of common items around the office shows the irony of how we are constantly yearning for something we don’t have, or in this case, somewhere we can’t be at the time,” said Zhou. “Larry’s piece on nature and office space was the most interesting in my opinion. I thought the sense of irony he obtained with his installation was really unique and eye-catching,” said Kevin Song ’11. Another particularly intriguing piece revolved around the issue of the deleterious effects of today’s society on the organic beauty of nature. Installed by Danica Mitchell ’09, the piece openly exemplified the suffocating consequences of modern advancements in our city life. Surrounded by an array of thriving, healthy plant life, Mitchell’s tree, which was wrapped in numerous plastic bags, looked forlorn and out of place. Another installation, by Mali Bowers ’09, consisted of several enlarged, brightly colored toadstools arranged near the entrance of the exhibition. Caroline Colombo ’09 created an installation that featured a pseudo-war between plastic army men strewn across a graffiti-covered concrete bridge. “Although I thought the entire exhibition was really interesting, my favorite one was definitely the plastic army men on the graffiti bridge. It was really cool how plastic army men were combined so naturally with the environment,” said Kyle Rhee ’10. The Art 500 exhibition was eye-opening and succeeded well in making the statements intended by the class’ talented students. Many of those who attended will likely remember these unexpected pieces on their next stroll through the Sanctuary. I only wish the show had been more widely advertised so that others could have had the opportunity to view this powerful artwork.
