All Covered Up and Tucked in Tight at The Jamestown Art Center in the Entryway Gallery as Part of the Burning Down the House Exhibition
All Covered Up and Tucked in Tight is an immersive experience where everything appears to be bright and clean at first but then you realize things aren't quite right. It is designed to remind people that we can never be quite sure of what goes on behind other peoples' closed doors. What looks bright and shiny often is the packaging for pain, confusion, frustration, insecurity and loneliness. Artist Brooke Erin Goldstein intentionally leaves any mistakes she makes in the production of my work in the final product. The form is human. The finish is flawed.
Many people experience some form of emotional, financial, sexual and/or physical disfunction or abuse during the course of their lives yet very few people are open and honest about their experiences. Goldstein thinks shining a light on what really goes on behind closed doors can create more empathy, less sympathy and a greater understanding of the complexity of domestic disfunction and abuse situations. We live in a society where surface is often valued more than substance creating standards that are pretty much impossible to live up to. We all know this but somehow when people are honest about their "cracks" we as a society are uncomfortable with that.
It is still very much taboo to talk about love in the context of a dysfunctional family or romantic relationship. As if you can't possibly love someone or be loved by someone if abuse is taking place. This is not Goldstein's experience. She feels that being honest about this can help us as individuals and society actually deal with the root of what is really causing abusive scenarios in the home.
*This installation was presented in the summer of 2015 at the Jamestown Art Center as part of the Burning Down the House exhibition curated by Robert Stack of the Yellow Peril Gallery.
**Photos by Spike Stone and myself.
