Trash World: The Art of Indulgence
CPK / 2023
The Art of Indulgence / Resin, Found Objects, Chrome Spray Paint, Trash Can, VHS TV, Film, Gum / 42” x 11” x 18”
To look plainly at reality, one must reconcile with horror beyond imagination. The existential dread, conscious or otherwise, produced by an individual’s acknowledgement of her own lack of agency is an inevitability of the human condition, and weighs heavy on the soul. Life defined by a diminishing locus of control has left the public desperately seeking psychological solace. For many, art provides suitable shelter. After the first World War, a bombed out Weimar Berlin leaned into Art Deco design. It was clean, sleek, and screamed functionality and prosperity even if it stood in stark contrast with the wreckage and rubble. Today, a little more than 100 years later, the streets of Hollywood reek of urine, but the sidewalks are lined with stars and paved with glitter. However, escapism can take many forms, all performed with the same goal:
a moment of freedom and hope.
Objects that were once considered valuable and in demand now converge in a jumbled mess within the confines of the most mundane, standard-issue metal trash can. Displayed in its raw and unadulterated form, the trash can serves as a silent witness to the ceaseless march of time and a refuge for the rejected. These objects, each carrying its own story, evoke a complex narrative of human escapism, troubled times, and the endless cycle of disposal and accumulation as individuals jump from one escape to the next. Once signifiers of hope for something better, they are now trapped in the unforgiving grasp of resin and sealed in chrome. The shiny chrome becomes a mask for the grime of reality and reflects the feigned decadence of the social media age.
a moment of freedom and hope.
Objects that were once considered valuable and in demand now converge in a jumbled mess within the confines of the most mundane, standard-issue metal trash can. Displayed in its raw and unadulterated form, the trash can serves as a silent witness to the ceaseless march of time and a refuge for the rejected. These objects, each carrying its own story, evoke a complex narrative of human escapism, troubled times, and the endless cycle of disposal and accumulation as individuals jump from one escape to the next. Once signifiers of hope for something better, they are now trapped in the unforgiving grasp of resin and sealed in chrome. The shiny chrome becomes a mask for the grime of reality and reflects the feigned decadence of the social media age.
