From the Blog

quietly taking its place in our lives

I first became interested in metal detectors when I was an MFA student at Cal State Long Beach. One day I placed three non-functional “walk-through” metal detectors in the middle of an art gallery. Positioned on the gallery wall was a life-sized image of an African American woman holding a baby boy who’s gaze was fixated on you, the viewer. There was nothing else to see in the gallery, only the three metal detectors and this large photograph. The goal at the time was to uncover the nexus between human being and government-sponsored surveillance and place it ‘smack-dab’ in the middle of four white walls. I wanted viewers to be confronted head-on with the disempowerment these devices engender in our lives and the gallery walls became the forum for this confrontation. For the upcoming Border Crossings show in Rhode Island (http://www.providencebiennial.com/CrossingBorders.html), my walk-through metal detector is no longer meant to hit anyone over their heads with the controversies of surveillance. The goal now is to camouflage or blend in with its surroundings, the monolithic walk-through metal detector. Indeed, the metal detector is now a natural part of our daily lives as it subdues us and essentially transforms us into spectators of our own surveillance. In order to see the “other” art pieces in the Border Crossings show, you literally have to walk through “my” metal detector. The only way to see the art inside of the gallery is to cross that threshold, that border symbolized by the metal detector. And because you wanna go see that art inside that gallery you tolerate the hassle presented by the metal detector. Its like in the example of airports and travel….you want to arrive at that holiday destination so you just have to allow for time at the metal detectors in order to get to your gate and not miss your plane. This show has taught me that the walk-through metal detector is here with us to stay, whether we like it or not…and I am reminded that in order to get to where I need to go, I am forced to just deal with it…