Clattergag

Author/Artist Name

Jamie MyresFollow

Files

Academic Level at Time of Creation

Senior

Date of Creation

Spring 5-3-2024

Artist Statement

Clattergag is an immersive, interactive installation that breaks the white-wall gallery confines to explore childhood nostalgia and whimsy. Fun is the goal. Playing dress up with half a mannequin, or laying in a giant burger are activities you wouldn't usually find in a stuffy gallery. As the viewer interacts with each piece, I want them to sit with their nostalgia and wonder why it is that kids pretend to be adults.

Nostalgia and adulthood are so intermingled, yet the mere presence of one means an absence of the other. Children yearn to be adults, yet it's taboo for an adult to keep their childlike wonder and interests. I use saturated colors, nostalgic imagery, clever concepts and, most importantly, humor to invoke a positive feeling in my audience. I want them to walk away with a memorable experience, so memorable they tell their friends and laugh together as a result of something I made.

Clattergag is incredibly immersive. The gallery atmosphere changes when entering the space. The vertical space is filled with draped fabric to feel as though you are entering a fort, and handmade rugs to cover the gallery floor and add a more plush homey feel. Throughout the show, I use a lot of childrens craft supplies – googly eyes, pom poms, pipe cleaners, beads – to create the feel of an elementary art class or school project. The bright, saturated primary colors replicate the decor of a preschool classroom, or a children’s toy. I use a lot of textures within the show that you just can't help but touch, in an attempt to draw in the audience to interact with the show. So go ahead and put your grubby little fingers all over everything, I know you want to!

My inspirations come from a number of places. Claes Oldenburg’s larger than life sculptures allow the viewer to take in the absurdity of everyday items at an impractical scale. The viewer can take this at face value or consider a deeper meaning. Digital artist Sam Lyon puts realistic, creepy human anatomy on everyday items, giving his work an unsettling appearance. The disturbingness is incredibly captivating for weirdos like me. Yayoi Kusama creates an intricate, immersive experience simply by covering a whole space with polka dots. The idea of transforming an entire atmosphere is incredibly intriguing to me. These artists inspire me to push the boundaries of what I know, and create to the best of my ability.

For as long as I can remember, I have found safety in humor. Everyone loves to laugh, and they love people that can make them laugh consistently. It was a quality that came naturally to me, and one I didn't realize I had until much later. It is a part of me, just how it is a part of everything I make no matter how hard I try to be serious. My brain is constantly a chaotic battlefield, with so much going on it often feels like there is nothing going on at all. It feels like there is always a new diagnosis, a new medication, and a new problem to fix. With my art I want other people like me to be able to take off their armor, lace up their clown shoes, and just have fun.

Advisor/Mentor

T. Michael Martin; Sarah Martin; Woody Leslie; G. Scott Cook

Description

Clattergag is an immersive, interactive installation that breaks the white-wall gallery confines to explore childhood nostalgia and whimsy. Fun is the goal. Playing dress up with half a mannequin, or laying in a giant burger are activities you wouldn't usually find in a stuffy gallery. As the viewer interacts with each piece, I want them to sit with their nostalgia and wonder why it is that kids pretend to be adults.

Nostalgia and adulthood are so intermingled, yet the mere presence of one means an absence of the other. Children yearn to be adults, yet it's taboo for an adult to keep their childlike wonder and interests. I use saturated colors, nostalgic imagery, clever concepts and, most importantly, humor to invoke a positive feeling in my audience. I want them to walk away with a memorable experience, so memorable they tell their friends and laugh together as a result of something I made.

Clattergag is incredibly immersive. The gallery atmosphere changes when entering the space. The vertical space is filled with draped fabric to feel as though you are entering a fort, and handmade rugs to cover the gallery floor and add a more plush homey feel. Throughout the show, I use a lot of childrens craft supplies – googly eyes, pom poms, pipe cleaners, beads – to create the feel of an elementary art class or school project. The bright, saturated primary colors replicate the decor of a preschool classroom, or a children’s toy. I use a lot of textures within the show that you just can't help but touch, in an attempt to draw in the audience to interact with the show.

Photo Credit

JMyres2024_Installation1, JMyres2024_Installation5, and JMyres2024_Installation6 by T. Michael Martin.

JMyres2024_Installation2, JMyres2024_Installation3, JMyres2024_Installation4, JMyres_BuildABurger2, JMyres2024_TheCollegeDays2, and JMyres2024_Slide2 by Grace Clutts.

All other shot by Jamie Myres

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Myres, Jamie, "Clattergag" (2024). B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498). 136.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art498/136