CLATTERGAG

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.