Wednesday, November 12, 1997
Paranoia in the basement
ART Two groups of artists put their philosophies on display in
"The Paranoia Machine," the latest installment in the "By-Product"
series of works in Haines Hall’s basement.
By Kristi Nakamura
Daily Bruin Contributor
Torn, black garbage bags surround bright paintings, bloody
rubber gloves, action figures and other images. The observant eye
might even discern a tiny brown snake in the back right corner of
the display case.
Minuscule black-and-white photos of surveillance cameras are a
reminder that there is always the possibility of someone watching.
This is "The Paranoia Machine."
"The Paranoia Machine" is the second of three art installments,
which together create "By-Product," to occupy the display case in
the basement of Haines Hall in front of the Chicano Studies
Library. Two artists’ groups, A Los Que No Les Hacen Caso and Gross
Pollution, are responsible for the changing weekly exhibit. They
characterize their job as a building process in visualizing the
"art cycle."
"It encapsulates a lot of our experiences starting at a very
early age and how a lot of those sort of deep-seeded memories
continue with us and we deal with that in both an internal and
external way," says Jusin Lowman of Gross Pollution.
Although the Haines Hall display case is a relatively small
venue that many students may only pass on their way to or from
classes, the artists of A Los Que No Les Hacen Caso and Gross
Pollution have lofty ambitions.
Lowman says "The Paranoia Machine" deals a lot with the
childhood experiences that are somehow still with us. He explains
that we all have fears about living and dying and the exhibit is
the artists’ take on those feelings.
"A lot of these images come up in the action figures. You know –
childhood, childhood memories. And it’s sort of juxtaposed with a
sort of fearful position," Lowman says.
However, the artists are not trying to communicate any one
message to viewers. They invite others to just come out and see
what they have put together and enjoy it in their own ways.
"The viewer is invited to draw their own feelings," Lowman says.
"I mean, it’s really important for us to let the viewer take away
what they can."
"The Paranoia Machine," as well as the other art installations,
combine a number of different artistic media. Not only are there
paintings and icons of childhood, but two of the rotating displays
include a video component.
UCLA student and A Los Que No Les Hacen Caso member Jorge
Castillo says that the films are a surrealist expression of a
by-product reality where there is no real narrative.
"It’s really a painting in motion," Castillo says. "Everything
in the exhibit is related to the video – the painting of the
landscape, the earth."
"By-Product" theorizes that there are three separate planes of
reality. The first plane is fantasy, the second is material and the
third consists of the by-product waste from the first two
planes.
From there, the third or by-product plane is divided into the
source, "The Paranoia Machine," and the manifestation. The latter
will be subject matter for their next installment.
The philosophical complexity of the exhibit cannot be completely
conveyed in words. The difficult concepts are best understood
visually, according to Lowman.
"We wanted to change (the exhibit) because we felt if we left it
too long it would just become stagnant." Lowman says. "We want
people to become interested in it, to enjoy it. It’s just maybe
nice to see something different."
Contributing to the installation are Los Que No Les Hacen Caso
members Wil Pulido, J. Gonzales and Jorge Castillo Gross Pollution
members Justin Lowman and Mike Holte. The five artists all brought
different ideas and suggestions to the project. They say the final
product is the result of a growing process.
"It’s difficult to talk about it," Lowman says. "If we could say
it in words we probably wouldn’t have done this, you know. So we’re
sort of speaking to the visual side of ourselves."
Castillo and Lowman stress the importance of individual
interpretation when viewing the exhibit. It is up to the viewers to
decide the significance of the bloody gloves and torn garbage
bags.
With the variety of images and the continuous changing of the
exhibit, everyone will walk away with something different. If A Los
Que No Les Hacen Caso and Gross Pollution provide an abundance of
visual stimulation in their exhibit, they feel they’ve done their
job.
"I just hope people will enjoy it and come out and take a look
and take what they can from it and leave the rest," Lowman
says.
ART: "By-Product" is on display in the basement of Haines Hall
in front of the Chicano Studies Library.
HANNAH SADY
(Above) "The Paranoia Machine" is currently on display in Haines
Hall, outside of the Chicano-studies library. (Below) The exhibit
attempts to capture a third plane of existence made up of
by-product waste from the fantasy and material worlds.
HILARY DOUGLAS
The "By-Product" series uses mixed media, including video
segments.
HILARY DOUGLAS