Here’s a pic of one of Arno Morland’s large-scale sculptures, from his solo exhibition that opened at franchise last night, machinations; they’re meant to be playful (I noticed this from the CD-ROMs he was giving out, which showed children sitting in and around the art-as-monkey-bars). To me, when I got very close to this one, it felt a bit like a torture instrument, mixed with the daunting dread that may come before being forced to climb the rope in gym class, in front of everyone.
OK. That was mean. The truth is, I liked the work, but I’m not sure why, and I’m always leery of things that are supposed to be too deep for me to understand. Perhaps it was just the scale? Perhaps it was the ambiguity of purpose (until I saw the children at play)? His statement says he is interested in “the relationship between the individual and the various social groups and formations with which he or she may be associated”. That makes more sense with the playful side, but why show in a gallery, then? And if you feel you must, why not documentation of people at play, or try to encourage some kind of play?
