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Sculpture
Magazine January 1998
Nashville
Michael Aurbach
Sarratt Gallery at Vanderbilt University
A jocular stab at institutional secrecy, Michael Aurbach's interactive
installation, titled The Institution(1997) is sheathed in unrelieved
galvanized sheet metal and studded with hundreds of screws. The viewer
is first confronted with a parodic triumphal arch whose two swiftly moving
message boards proclaim: "We have no comments at this time" and "We
regret any hardships created by this situation." Their approach monitored
on closed circuit TV, visitors then pass under the triangular arch, where
the broken beam of a motion detector acknowledges their presence with
a jarring hiss. Treading on protective, insulating rubber mats, they next
face The Institution itself, marked by two blind "eyes" on a facade
that is Lilliputian in comparison with the oversized arch.
Extending a hand to separate the black curtains covering one of the facade's
two windows, the viewer is greeted with a sharp, sizzling sound and a
jagged red flash. Equally startling is the image of the viewer's own backside
on a TV screen as he or she bends over to peer inside the cubicle. Dark
curtains framing the screen provide an ironic allusion to the centuries-old
cloth of honor, a motif in Western art that denotes the eminence of the
person depicted. Two more message boards provide constant reinforcement
for the absent minion who, one imagines, inhabits the claustrophobic space:
"Never reveal your sources;" "Alter personal files;" "Avoid direct contact
with employees." A board of switches, a computer keyboard, and a telephone--all
inoperative--await the servant's use.
After these initial contacts, the visitor comes to understand that The
Institution's identity is decidedly masculine and that its propensity
is for the covert. The triangular entryway, for instance, is a clever
imitation not only of the administration building at Aurbach's own university,
but also of the inseam of a man's pants; and the patterning on the door
of the facade is, in fact, like a large zipper, the metal flap at the
top replicating the zipper' s pull. The organization is thus "zipped up,"
sealed against disclosure. The triangle over the miniature door of the
facade, moreover, would fit exactly inside the opening of the "triumphal
arch," indicating that the "small" men of The Institution actually
cower under their "big" image. The mask-like "eyes" of the facade, furthermore,
imitate a Klansman's hood, the symbol of an organization which is not
only clandestine, but whose governance is predominantly masculine. And,
last, the diminutive spire behind the facade's crenellated roof line is
an unmistakable emblem of the "little" men in charge.
Other facetious details underscore The Institution's insecurity
and corresponding pretensions. Numbers attached to the back of the entry
arch, indicating heights of four, five, and six feet, are like those in
convenience stores allowing a clerk to gauge the height of a departing
intruder. And the sheet metal on the facade, patterned like rough stones,
makes a dual reference to the rustication of the university building which
is the artist's model and to the use of such sheeting under mobile homes
to make them appear to have foundations.
The key word here is "appear." Though made to look like a fortress, The
Institution is actually cleverly designed in modules for easy disassembly
and transport. The spire, for example, is hoisted up on plumbing pipe,
and the metal sheeting covers a wooden core. In certain lighting, furthermore,
the metal surface seems almost to disappear, suggesting that The Institution
is more a mirage than an entity. The whole thing is a big laugh.
Nonetheless, a reflection the viewer realizes that, to borrow Emily Dickinson's
words, Aurbach's "glee glaze[s]" and his "play turns piercing earnest."
The Institution, the artist asserts, is suspicious, stealthy, and
ultimately counterfeit. One is reminded of Robert Motherwell's testimony
at a Congressional subcommittee hearing: "The artist's awareness...is
one...of the few guardians of the inherent sanity and equilibrium of the
human spirit that we have."
--Dorothy Joiner
Link to Secrecy Series
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