An Exhibition of Soft Sculpture Installations
CAID
Through December 30, 2006

While for many art students the end of the semester means a group critique limited to one’s classmates, professor, and maybe a guest or two, Denise Fanning’s CCS soft sculpture class took the work out of the isolation of the classroom and into the field for an exhibition of soft sculpture installation at CAID. It’s a great experience for the students and a visually engaging treat for visitors. Like the Detroit Industrial Project’s recent installation show at the Russell Industrial Center, it’s great to see work of this nature, not just for the individual pieces inside but for the way in which it allows the viewer to examine the space itself from a transformed perspective. As much time as I’ve spent at CAID, Gary Elson’s “Cloud Formations” composed of hundreds of hand sewn together dust masks got me to look at the rafters of this storied old building in a whole new light.

Each student chose a section of the gallery to build their work around. The aforementioned ceiling piece is a good example of this, as, in a strange way, is Carlton Potts’ outdoor (keep in mind it’s December!) installation of fictional “Walking Trees”. It’s a quirky piece, featuring these squirrel-sized creatures he fashioned, cordoned off in their “natural” habitat, complete with a placard providing detailed information about their existence. The theme of squirrelly animals was picked up as well by Megan Harris with her stop motion animation “Tripes,” that appear to have something in common with “Tribbles,” (for all you Trek fans out there), and Korin Sanderson presented a wriggle of wormlike cloth critters, electrically animated on the floor.

Renay Masters’ oversized “mold” appeared to grow out of the building (all too disconcerting for a frequenter of the space), and Ashley Wightman’s anthropomorphic cushion-like shapes sat vigilantly in their corners.

Crystal Lupo took it so far as to inject herself into the installation, putting on a performance piece throughout the night in which she wore a nurse’s outfit made from paper sheets of candy buttons, which she dispensed in plastic cups to willing participants. In addition to the interaction, the piece brings up issues of medication and consuming another’s, umm, exfoliation. And exfoliation is something Lupo picks up in her second piece on exhibit, “Renew Overload Bedset,” a bed covered with spreads all made from a myriad of brightly colored scrubbing pads. This quilt of many colors is beautiful in color and sparkle, relating to the candy “pills” in color, and perhaps the bed as a symbol for restoring health, while its components speaking to cleanliness. Ambitious projects both, and quite successful.

As with Lupo’s use of scrub pads, Nate Morgan weaves together toilet paper to create a very sturdy looking rope, “To Cross the River,” and Leigh Ann Foshee knitted together plastic bags (the use of such materials seems to be a growing trend) to create an upside down funnel shape stretching floor to ceiling. Zachary Barozzini’s wall of soft plastic, air-filled “cinder” blocks suspended from the ceiling speak strongly to the tradition of soft sculpture as championed by Claus Oldenburg and others. All in all, these pieces worked together well, providing the viewer with a variety of approaches, though all linked enough to feel related. The installation nature of the work asks us to look not just straight ahead, but up, down, to explore the corners, thus making the entire space truly come to life.

This was a very whole concept, thoroughly explored. In her excellent statement about the show, teach and curator Fanning graciously acknowledges what her students taught her in this process. Fanning too, must be credited for creating the environment to enable such an expression of care and creativity. It’s great that CCS offers such a class, and we certainly hope that the community encourages and enables more such efforts. – Nick Sousanis
ws@thedetroiter.com

Notice of full disclosure, Sousanis is the board chairperson of CAID.