Another Person's Treasure

Another Person's Treasure

Another Person's Treasure is an interactive sculpture accessible by the public. It displays objects collected during the construction of the unit, as well as objects added by viewers of the work. The clear door invites viewers to look inside and the doorknob invites them to physically connect with the piece. Viewers are encouraged to participate in the give-something-take-something experiment, which allows Another Person's Treasure to be constantly evolving. 

In the construction process, I collected scrap wood to build the walls and roof of the sculptural structure. This re-use of materials mimics the transforming of ordinary and not-so-ordinary objects into a piece of art.

As this project progresses, I am interested in the psychological aspect of the giving and taking of objects and of the objects people choose to present with little or no direction. 

Element of Surprise

Marcel Duchamp's With Hidden Noise utilizes similar elements of surprise and the unexpected actions of strangers that I'm hoping to reach in my own sculpture. Duchamp asked his friend to put an object in the already-made sculpture and bolt it shut. Duchamp himself never knew what was inside the sculpture.

Likewise the objects I receive are not dictated or directed by me. The psychological aspect of what people choose is just as interesting as the finished product.

super awesome new idea

I've been really into the idea of keeping the objects ever-changing - a sort of interactive experience.

I thought of the free libraries around town and what if they held something besides books? Those are the quintessential cabinets of curiosities and I can't believe I hadn't thought of that before!

There are building plans for them, and as of right this second I'm leaning towards keeping my sculpture open and accessible.

Ann Hamilton

These objects from Ann Hamilton are from a book I checked out from the library. I was initially interested in the collection aspect and then became inspired by the display.

My ideas have been evolving more and more towards an interesting display for the objects to remain an interactive experience rather than preserving them in something permanent.

Tim Hawkinson

Like Rachel Whiteread, Tim Hawkinson has works that focus on negative space. In this particular example, he casts the space between his legs and creates a unique object out of what was once empty. 

above-ground tombs in New Orleans

Curiosity

Allen McCollum's and Laurie Simmons' photographs of melted figures:

Collection of Objects

from Everything Is Illuminated

Lerma and Madera

Cabinet of Curiosity 2

Rachel Whiteread fills spaces with concrete and other substances to give validity to emptiness.

Absence creates presence; space becomes solid.

It gives the impression that everything is just a potential shell.

Her exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery shows 100 resin "spaces" which have now become the objects themselves.

These casts of library shelves evoke questions of content: the representation of what can be held in the absence/presence distinction. I think of the information held in the casted books as being removed from the work. I'm inspired by the exploration of nothingness.

Cabinet of Curiosity 1

from Alexander McQueen SS2013. 

cage/netting silhouette creates mystery and curiosity. obscured vision manipulates state of certainty.