Andrea Bowers’ show Think of Our Future presents a series of works about the current climate crisis and includes her interviews of activists involved in the movement to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. The gallery was kept dark to display several neon sculptures surrounding the periphery of the gallery, and the video of activists projected in the middle.
The video showcases interviews of young activists filmed in the sacred, expansive green landscape of South Dakota. The neon sculptures are wall-pieces featuring branches, leaves, and quotes from eco-feminists such as "Let us be the ancestors our descendants will thank". Exposed wires, powering the neon, lead to boxes under the sculptures, emulating stems or roots. The sculptures are made of recycled or reused materials.
At first, the connection between the sculptures and the video was not entirely clear. The video identifies specific individuals and events that one would expect the work surrounding to be directly referring to them. However, the quotes are unattributed and use the first person plurals “we” and “us”, broadening the sense of community and connecting the viewers with them. The works affirm that this crisis is of the Earth and since “We [all]belong to the earth” it affects us all collectively.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement that Bowers wants the viewers to become more involved in the crisis that is facing our planet, she is drawing the viewer in by using such words as "we" and "us". Bowers used neon lights in her works that were in shapes of leaves; you could have made the connection as to how plant life is becoming greatly affected by climate change and how we may have to resort to artificial products to sustain our way of life instead of using what is naturally grown. Overall great job just develop your analysis a little further.
ReplyDeleteI would disagree with your statement that the connection between the works of neon and the video were not clear. Despite only watching a small portion of the video, I recognized the climate themes immediately. I think where the intrigue lay in this piece was the combination of the mediums. Film - especially digital film - is widely recognized as a pretty ‘sustainable’ medium in the sense that it does not import or export resources. On the other hand, neon is basically the anti-thesis of sustainable when it comes to lighting. These choices really highlight humanity’s ability to say much and achieve little.
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