MassMoCA
Memorial to Ice at The Dead Deer Disco and Cosmic Latte

The Dead Deer Disco — a commentary on climate change and paying homage to the AIDS crisis, allowed me to see how an artist can emphasize their narrative through modernization. As a highschool artist looking to expand my creative horizon this stands out to me. Many colleges when looking at art portfolios like to see examples of creativity different from the cliche. An example of this would be melting crayons. Everyone as a child did this or at least heard of this. It could be seen as something different in that it “used materials in a non-typical way” but at the end of the day it does not show any of your own creativity. What I learned from seeing this is how the narrative of something that already existed can be carried through and used to express a new idea. This piece uses the composition of Michelangelo's Pietá to assist it in this way. As Mary held her dead son in her arms, the feeling of sorrow and sadness overcame her. Just like how the drapes, representing us, hold the dead deer, representing climate change and the world, should invoke a sadness within ourselves. This sort of comparison done by Mark Swanson, the artist behind this masterpiece, of a biblical figure and work to something universally current like climate change makes the piece even more powerful. I take inspiration from this to carry into my own works going into the future.

Another one of my favorite exhibits from the trip was Cosmic Latte, by Spencer Finch. This was a mesmerizing and beautiful long-term installation of warm light. As you walk through an eighty-foot long corridor there are over one-hundred fifty bulbs of varying sizes along the ceiling in an arched pattern, mimicking an arm of the milky way. I have been a superfan of pretty lights ever since I was a kid and this made me feel like I was in a dream land from my childhood. I felt instantly lighter on my feet as I stepped in.