Defiance in Decay: “Wilderness and Household” at Current Space
From June 4 to June 26, collaborative husband and wife duo Yhelena Hall and Michael Henri Hall display sculpture exhibition “Wilderness and Household” at Current Space. Claiming to conceptually amalgamate industrialized space and internal domestic routine, or the two central factors of “’western’” life according to their artist statement, the show visualized the couples’ interpretation of modern daily life as something intimately bound to manufacturing, and therefore completely absurd. To accomplish such criticism, the artists explore several conceptual methods through sculpture: collage, decay and reassignment of an anticipated function of an object. In doing so, the artists inject suspicion into the viewers’ consideration of everyday materials and appliances.
The symbolic works in “Wilderness and Household” range from kinetic mechanical sculpture to wall-mounted pieces, all appearing to be structurally in flux. The series itself is an ongoing work in progress. Each piece seems to be in a state of deterioration, whether physically or functionally or both. Upon entry into Current Space, visitors are greeted by the whir of two absurd appliances: a hand-made freezer with a raw porterhouse steak inside and a pair of box fans facing each other, one functioning as a wind turbine to stimulate a magnetic generator which then powers a small car fan attached to a plywood stand. The effect of both of these contraptions is dizzying and humorous, causing a reevaluation of the wastefulness of our own domestic objects. The artists blur distinction between domestic and industrial in each piece, symbolized most explicitly in the series of “concrete collages.” These pieces are casted from the crumbling viaducts of Chicago urban landscape, fabricated in the studio with discarded product packaging and polished rebar, then re-installed permanently onto the walls they were casted from. In this exhibition, however, the casted sculptures are installed directly onto the gallery wall. Simple in their message, the “collages” literally embed waste culture into urban fabric. The two freestanding rectangular concrete works are more nuanced: one is a horizontal brick with two rebar “arms” outstretched and the other a vertical piece that reveals skeletal rebar structure that seems to be pulled away from the concrete. The state of decay of these works initially seems random, but reveals careful consideration in the artists’ process of construction. In this sense, each of the sculptures can be read as a performative action against the constricting landscape of post-industrial America.
As a collection, these sculptures are united in status as ‘anti-objects’ that reveal the foundation of consumption, displaying humanity’s reliance on electricity and mass-production. Unfortunately, it remains unclear exactly whose interest is in question. If the artists are implying that we, as “contemporary ‘westerners’” are dependent on devices, why is there no suggestion of who manufactured them? While these objects function objects of resistance, the textual support for the exhibition shows a disappointing lack of specificity. It is not enough to caution viewers about the reach of manufacturing, especially since each industry contains unique problems that profit different elites. Perhaps it is the absence of a discussion of global capital in favor of criticizing a broad notion of “western” consumption. In the end, this lack of direction not only subverts interesting and evolving work, but also raises a problematic assumption that only the “west” is deeply affected by industrial manufacturing. A decidedly non-global perspective seems to miss the point of rejecting unsustainable consumption, especially when raising concern for the infrastructure of industrialization as a whole. Ignoring the overseas factory worker in an exhibition that aims to alert Americans of their dependence on cheap appliances is counter-productive to say the least. Still, each work is smartly fabricated despite the underwhelming and ambiguous explanation from the artists. I am optimistic to know that the exhibition is a work in progress, for the duo’s skill in fabrication and striking use of mechanics are filled with potential for defiant works of art.
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