I got an instant cold feeling when I walked into this exhibit, and not because of the AC in the Visual Arts Center. This exhibit gives a new face to the corporate world, and honestly, it gets closer to the truth than I could ever possibly communicate. The omnipresence of stern faces, fancy suits, and symbols of this line of work, accompanied by the ticking and clomping sounds echoing through the open room, gave the entire exhibit an air of eeriness. I thought it was particularly interesting that many of the finished sculptures were made entirely of wood, which is a natural material, and the object that the piece was depicting is very unnatural. This juxtaposition of the natural and the unnatural symbolizes the constant struggle of humans to connect with nature, and this battle is especially difficult for those who work in a stuffy, grey office cubicle from 9 to 5. I am aware that the title of this exhibition is "Business as Usual", but ever since we read that short article on Trotman before the field trip, all I can call it is "Corporate Purgatory" because I think that that title really captures what it feels like to stand inside the room of wooden businessmen as hollow sounds bounce off the pale walls. I really enjoyed this exhibit. It made me think a lot about the way the corporate world has become so foreign, yet so familiar. | |