Play

“Play”

Joyce Ho and Craig Quintero

Mixed Media

2007

 

The mixed media sculpture “play” is a hybrid work of art that combines the creative fields of the two artists Joyce Ho (graffiti) and Craig Quintero (theatre). By removing graffiti from the walls of urban streets and placing it on home furniture, the artwork re-contextualizes this contemporary art form and conflates notions of interior and exterior space.

 

The aggressive brush strokes of white paint on the three chairs, the repetition of the image of a young child, the painted spray paint can and stereo, and the haunting music combine to create a narrative work of art that addresses contemporary urban alienation and familial dysfunction. The repeated child images are both a commentary on our mass-produced pop culture and the manner in which we all struggle with our own personal childhood issues that we never have completely resolved. The empty cartoon bubble is an invitation for spectators to face or rethink their own childhood. If you were to fill in the blank, what would you say? What memories or experiences remain unspoken in your life?