Sketch of "untitled" created in 2009 by Justin Thomas Shaefer
I walked into the Midway gallery seeing the first and biggest piece of stone building blocks put into a preposterous formation blocking my view from the rest of the art work surrounding it. I immediately thought "I really hope that this isn't it." It was.
Walking into a dark blue room it consumes you, if you don't watch where you are walking you may walk right into the opening piece of cement rocks placed in the middle of the space. The art work is hung all around seemingly no rhyme or reason to it. The artwork is obscure and leaves that "what the fuck" feeling lurching. Walking through the gallery three times I missed this little gem on the floor with it's arms and legs that are spread out the length of one wall and around to the next. It was so peculiar and just like a child that you might forget about in the corner of this same gallery but it was a part of the work. Unattached from everything else on display, in it's own unique way. The figure had a red hat that stood out the most rather than anything else on its persons. Like a dunce hat or perhaps a joker. From looking at this piece I feel like I got the "comedy comedy" title however in the context of the rest of the work I am just bemused.
I left longing for the sunlight and to get out of the claustrophobic space. However I did take a little piece of sunshine with me through my sketch of "untitled".
You've expressed exactly my views - I kept thinking there had to be more to it than that one room too. And I love that the little jester figure was your piece of sunshine in the room.
ReplyDeleteI still cannot get past the "wtf" feeling I got from that gallery. It took me a while to come across the little joker as well.
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