Layla Quinones
HUA 101.1102
Porfessor Joan Harmon
November 21, 2008
Museum Journal 4
When I visited the P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, I saw many works of art that were
exceptionally fascinating and unique. One exhibition that caught my complete attention was one
by Borre Saethre titled Stealth Distortion (…must have seen it in some teenage wet dream). In a
series of mixed media installations, he exhibited scenes that were ornamented with LED lights
and incorporated audio music to give viewers the feeling that they were walking through a
futuristic fantasy wonderland. His ability to alter the environment amazed me due to the euphoric
emotions that surged through my brain as I walked through his exhibit. However, the artist also
added stuffed mythological creatures in his work, such as a unicorn, giving his artwork a sense of
mystery that contrasted the futuristic environment he had created. I was very curious about his
title because it hints at a sort of secretive, intimate and personal experience. Key features in his
installations were semi-transparent glass windows that enclosed television monitors and some of
the objects that were in his exhibit. These features gave me a sense of voyeurism as I “peeped”
through each widow, uncovering another part of his installation that seemed intimate and private.
It was like walking passed buildings with low windows and opened curtains; tempting me to
look inside and see what they would reveal. Lastly, due to the clash of a futuristic environment
and fairy tale creatures that seemed to me as if they came out of a time machine from the past,
Saethre situated a type of surreal tone. Overall, his work was very personal, mysterious, and
futuristically fairy tale-like; allowing me to have a very wonderful glimpse into a new world.
The next fantastic installation that I encountered was Swimming Pool by Leandro Erlich.
Covering two floors of the museum, he displayed a swimming pool that I was able to look into.
This pool was covered with some sort of glass that gave the impression of water. Underneath the
“water” were people who were fully dressed, walking around and breathing. This surreal theme
gave me an almost frightening experience. The glass was as if these people were trapped
underneath the water however, they did not seem to care. I realized later that when viewed from
the bottom up, this installation was actually a sort of optical illusion. The people that I saw
breathing and walking around in the water were actually other visitors at the museum. From the
bottom, as I looked up I could also see other people admiring his work as if they were looking
down into the pool viewing me standing there, fully clothed, walking and breathing in water. I
absolutely loved this artwork because it allowed viewers to become part of the whole experience.
They themselves would also be mistaken for people walking underwater. When they finally get
the chance to view the pool from the bottom up, they realize that they are part of the artwork,
enhancing the experience into a personal level.