“There were hardly any lights except the shadowy, moving glow of a ferryboat across the sound. And as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors' eyes-a fresh, green breast of the new world. Its vanished trees, the trees that had made way for Gatsby's house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams; for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder."
–F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
I have always been fascinated by classic American icons and advertising. To me, these are full of possibility and hope, similar to what the Dutch sailors experience in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald suggests that when the sailors spot the new continent on the horizon, that one perfect moment encapsulates the American Dream because it is only in that moment that dreams can occur. Once the initial moment has passed, the dream is over, and a less than perfect reality sets in. The same is true for American icons and advertisements.
In my mind, the American Dream is found in American gas stations. Every American at some time or another has been to a gas station--they are the great leveler of America. In these “convenience” stores, the possibilities abound with wonder products on every shelf and the hundreds of advertisements clinging to the walls. Yet the gleaming products are a charade. Filth is everywhere from the grime of the unisex bathroom, “around back,” for which you must procure a key from the cashier, to the nutrition facts of the types of foods sold there. Thus, for my show, In the Pursuit of Happiness, I chose to make larger-than-life objects found at gas stations and convenience stores not only because of the familiarity and relatability viewers have to these common objects but to show the contrast between the American Dream and reality. It is a contrast of appearance with disappointment, disillusionment, and a less-than-perfect reality. All of these objects are filled with that glimmer of hope and dreams Fitzgerald described the sailors experiencing. However, each has an inside, a reality, which is much darker, disgusting, and real than their initial appearance, revealing certain truths about American culture.
The idea for my show began in my painterly prints class last semester. While initially working with prints, as I narrowed my ideas it became apparent that my message would speak louder if the objects were enlarged and made three-dimensional. This decision was inspired by the work of the artist Cleas Oldenburg who takes common household objects such as Kleenex boxes, paper clips, and a slice of cake and enlarges them to the size of skyscrapers. While my pieces are not quite that large, I love the way his work manipulates space and forces the viewers to interact with the art. I hope mine will do the same.
I chose to create these sculptures out of wire and paper mache to try to reach my viewers in a way that would, quite literally, hit home. Most Americans grew up learning how to papermache for school projects. Thus by selecting a medium most people are familiar with, I hope to connect with them on a deeper level to drive my message home. These materials also create a demented, distorted, and warped feel and appearance to the objects, which alludes to their internal imperfection, hinting to the viewer that the charade can only go on for so long.