For those of you that missed ARTEL PHX’s installation at the Clarendon last month (like myself), this was the perfect opportunity to experience it in an entirely different space. While most of the world was dressing up and celebrating the spooky holiday, us “art fans” were at The Icehouse in Downtown Phoenix checking out Sondra Tschudy’s “It Wouldn’t be Make- Believe” exhibit.
The experience that Sondra created can be best compared to Yayoi Kusama’s “Firefies” at the Phoenix Art Museum. A visually stimulating room that gives a limitless perception and a sense of spatial distortion. It Wouldn’t be Make- Believe, consisted of thousands of paper strips hanging from ceiling lit with a variation of blue, green, red, and purple lighting. As you walked through this paper forest, you would come across a random vintage couch, Japanese umbrellas, and perhaps another visitor curiously making their way through. During your journey, a trance- inspired rainforest soundtrack played in order to complete the full effect.
Tucked away in the paper forest you will come to find the main attraction. A glass box with a painter making creations from the inside while multiple painters create from the outside. This is a collaborative effort so you are encouraged to pick up a paintbrush yourself and add to the four-sided masterpiece. There is something relaxing about participating in this activity and the mood is very welcoming regardless of your artistic abilities.
In addition to the paper forest installation, another room in the Icehouse contained my favorite art piece of the evening. Flashing strobe lights filled the expansive room and in the one of the corners, a large figure illuminated red. As you walked closer to mystery figure the details became clear, a metal skeleton with glowing yellow eyes holding a machete with a necklace made out of skulls. Sculptor, John Cheney created this piece which is referred to as “Kali.” The composition of the piece was captivating and was very appropriate for the holiday.
Overall, “It Wouldn’t be Make-Believe” was a fun unique experience that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys an escape from reality. After chatting with the team that put the installation together, I found out there were a few technical difficulties that didn’t allow them to fully complete the vision. I would have loved to have seen the installation at its highest potential but nonetheless, the exhibit was still worth experiencing and sharing with others.
