Crowd Sourcing Sculpture in East Williamsburg
The geometric construction inhabits Devotion Gallery is the focus and product of a project/performance by musician and multimedia artist Morgan Packard titled Dihedral Product. The work is a crowd-sourced sculpture that evolves according to the donated manpower and creativity of gallery visitors.
Monday night I wandered into Devotion Gallery in the East Williamsburg area of Brooklyn. The gallery is located on a funny, quiet street, its old storefront façade is quite unassuming and I walked past it without realizing at first. What brought me back was the unmistakably ethereal music. These noises belonged to electronic/techno artist Scott Vizioli. His droning, thumping, subliminal tunes lent a magical and dreamy quality to the gallery.
The space itself is currently occupied by a massive paper cloud. The geometric construction that inhabits the space is the focus and product of a project/performance by musician and multimedia artist Morgan Packard titled Dihedral Product. The work is a crowd-sourced sculpture that evolves according to the donated manpower and creativity of gallery visitors. Starting August 7, each day (7-9 PM) the artist has invited participants into the space to work on the project and listen to a host of visiting musical guests. The result is equal parts performance, community project and artwork.
The sculpture is surprisingly slick looking considering that it’s made of recycled paper and tape. What this means is that there is a level of craft to the project that requires precise attention to detail and concentration. I found these elements of DIY craft particularly interesting considering the inspiration for the project, which the press release explains:
Sol LeWitt knew that artists of many diverse types use simple forms to their own ends. Musician and multimedia artist, Morgan Packard believes that simple rules, when allowed to unfold, create the splendor of the world.
The simple triangular units undeniably reference the work of minimalist sculptors like Carl Andre and LeWitt. The piece feels equally entrenched in the populist ideals of the 1970s, the birthplace of participatory art. Such heady notions and lofty ideas aren’t hard to find in the art world. What is encouraging about this project is how humble it is. Indeed the whole endeavor is incredibly simple.
The artist has created a warm, comfortable environment in which anyone can participate, regardless of background or technical ability. In fact the artist admitted that he originally developed this project while spending time with his 10 year old nephew. That it was intended to “kill time” with a youngster is telling: the construction is incredibly time consuming and labor intensive. That the space felt at times more like a community center than a gallery is to its credit. We need more art like this that is approachable, unpretentious and downright pleasurable.
Though this homespun small-scale experience might not be for everyone, I think it’s a good example of what can happen when we put aside the drama and showmanship so many artists depend upon as a crutch.
Morgan Packard’s Dihedral Product at Devotion Gallery (54 Maujer Street, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn) began on August 6 and continues until this Friday, August 12.
