Round Three
Afterlife:
A physical installation including digital audio and organic environments about the physical and psychological death of trash and litter.
Theory:
Trash lives on two plains; the ‘now,’ and the ‘afterlife.’ The ‘now’ is commonly externalized as litter, garbage, local, the visual and sensory perceptual, tangible overall. On this plain trash can cause many problems, the least of which, but most commonly accepted, is an eyesore. The ‘afterlife’ of trash is its continued existence, but as the unperceived and wandering; a ghost. Trash in this plain is only tangible to specific thoughts, and therefore does not often exist as such. In a sense, it lives and dies psychologically. This is the cause for the common saying ‘out of sight out of mind.’ When it is out of sight, it is in an afterlife existence, a ghost. Unless people believe in ghosts, or even catch a glimpse of one, to the common public they are not real. Sadly, trash does not literally disappear from the world as a ghost, instead it is stuck and lingers to haunt it, perhaps for ever, or at least longer than we can currently fathom or project. Although it may sound playful, it is in its haunting stage in the afterlife that trash begins to cause the real and devastating damage- but that is a very long story with years of science and literature attached, a story that I am not going to directly tell at all. The idea that most interests me is trash’s ability to transition from the ‘now’ to its havoc reeking ‘afterlife.’
What:
Creation of a 20 foot corridor installed with plants and other organic debris fashioned with a path through the middle. The corridor will be constructed with hanging black fabric for walls and various tall grasses, shrubs, sticks, rocks, leaves, and dirt for the insides and floor cover. The opening half is more manicured and slowly transitions to an unruly organic scene. At the end of the corridor there is a log and behind the log is a Styrofoam cup in spot light. The sounds heard in the beginning are of an urban to nature transitory space, a park or recreation area. The sounds are naturalist with kids playing and cars slowly driving by from time to time. The audio shift to become underwater sounding as a threshold is passed and the cup can be seen behind the log. It is smashed and has a child drawn happy face and the name Brandon on one side. The sounds are of a creek and purely natural in source. The cup begins to talk at you and is exceedingly annoying and nonsensical, childlike. The cup sounds drastically bored and agitating. It is on a never ending loop until the viewer crosses back from the threshold sensor.
Intent:
To extend the awareness or consciousness of trash’s perceived life using humor and personal experience. To give an immersive and personal relationship to content that does not cause guilt, but thoughtfulness.
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