Perry Hoberman: Faraday's Garden

Authors

Museum of Contemporary Art at Wright State University

Files

Document Type

Catalog

Description

In Perry Hoberman's electronic garden, evocative of happier and simpler times when the American Dream was the "General Electric Home," the concept of sculpture is being redefined and stretched to its limits. Hoberman, in a sort of tribute to Michael Faraday's electronic genius, recycles outdated and, at times, archaic-looking household appliances and tools in our room-sized installation. In this expanded version of the original Faraday's Garden, which was exhibited in 1990 at Postmasters Gallery in New York City, each of the appliances is activated by walking on electronic footpads on the floor, resulting in a sculpture that seems to have a personality of its own. Quiet and still when left alone, the sculpture invites the audience to meander through. Then, "all hell breaks loose!" Hoberman allows the individual viewer to have a sense of control and to write his or her own score, using instruments such as hair dryers, fans, mixers, blenders, record players, movie projectors, radios, etc. But as the audience increases, the result is a cacophony of sounds and a chaotic environment. Faraday's Garden takes "lo-tech" to new heights. It not only makes one rethink the slick, consumer oriented sculpture of the late 1980s-it also adds to its dimensions.

Publication Date

2-3-1991

Publisher

Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries, Wright State University

City

Dayton

Keywords

Art Museums; Installations (Visual Works)

Disciplines

Art and Design | Art Practice | Fine Arts

Repository Citation

Museum of Contemporary Art at Wright State University (1991). Perry Hoberman: Faraday's Garden. Dayton, Ohio: Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries, Wright State University.