Stamford Museum: Reclaimed Creations

Emergence (2013) Sayaka Ganz

At the Stamford Museum and Nature Center, the building was small but the grounds were vast. The Nature Center had a petting zoo area, but I have never been one for animals, so I mostly stayed inside. Alas, the inside was filled with animals as well. The main exhibit featured animal sculptures by artist Sayaka Ganz which were made up of common household appliances like ladles and forks. The exhibit was named “Reclaimed Creations” to demonstrate how prosaic items can be aesthetically repurposed. 

Some of the featured pieces were sculptures of horses. These 3D horses had a tremendous amount of movement to them despite being made of a multitude of static objects. Artists like 18th century British painter George Stubbs worked to revolutionize the portrayal of horses by drawing attention to muscle and tone of the animal itself -- demonstrated in "Whistlejacket" (seen below). While Ganz was not painting horses as Stubbs once did, she captured details of shape and movement well in an innovative way. 

Whistlejacket (1762) George Stubbs

In same cases, the items were specifically chosen to not only create in animal in question but also enhance it. One example is “Fogo” which is a conglomeration of red pieces making up a cheetah. Ganz explains that the appliances were aligned to draw the eye back and forth —instead of in all directions—in order to create motion. But what makes this piece unique is that it includes items like a fireman’s helmet and hot-week tracks in addition to appliances. These additions correlate with speed and urgency which as central symbols of a cheetah. The connection between the subject of the piece and the material used to make it opens up the door for a new way of thinking of collages. 

Fogo (2008) Sayaka Ganz

There are tons of opportunities which can rely on either a direct connection between media and subject—as “Fogo” does—or by an ironic connection. The ironic connection would have the media and the subject be content that are related but opposite: a tree made up of axes and saws; a polar bear made of car parts; a T.V. made up of books. 

It is becoming more common to see art that tries to be conscious of the environment usually via usage of recycled items. Personally, I have wanted to see what the right artist could do with old toothbrushes—the funky colors are already there and it takes forever for plastic to decompose, so they could be put to better use. I would trust an artist like Ganz with this toothbrush creation because I think she goes above and beyond on this concept of recycled art. It is no longer enough for art to simply point out that items can be repurposed, the resulting art should be at a higher caliber. The works in this exhibit at the Stamford Museum make the viewer appreciate more than just the environmental efforts, but the strength of the resulting art in its own right too.

Stamford Museum and Nature Center - Bendel Mansion