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Artist + Educator
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A wall mounted, framed image, of a man in a suit, staring at the camera from his seat on an empty stage
wood. digital print. glass.
A wall mounted, framed image, of a man in a suit, staring at the camera from his seat on an empty stage
wood. digital print. glass.
A wall mounted, framed image, of a man in a suit, staring at the camera from his seat on an empty stage
wood. digital print. glass.
A wall mounted, framed image, of a man in a suit, staring at the camera from his seat on an empty stage
wood. digital print. glass.
A wall mounted, framed image, of a man in a suit, staring at the camera from his seat on an empty stage
wood. digital print. glass.
A wall mounted, framed image, of a man in a suit, staring at the camera from his seat on an empty stage
wood. digital print. glass.

Artwork

Installation


ID

Staged Authority

Year

2016

Concept

A balance between a depiction of power and a large sculptural mass.

About

During a tour of Theaster Gates' art studio, I became captivated by a desk he had salvaged from the former headquarters of Ebony magazine. The desk was a massive, 300-pound wooden structure with a distinctive, cushion-shaped front.

A wall mounted, framed image, of a man in a suit, staring at the camera from his seat on an empty stage
wood. digital print. glass.

At the time, I was contemplating the concept of authority — who wields it, and how it is represented. The desk served as a potent reminder of the impact that certain forms can have when paired with a specific narrative.

Inspired by the desk's shape, I aimed to recreate its core essence and combine it with contextual references to authority. I staged a presentation in the style of a TED talk, assuming the role of an authoritative figure documenting the unveiling of a previously unexpressed body of knowledge.

To further subvert the notion of authority, I pretended to possess the ability of hydrokinesis, manipulating the water flowing from an overturned pitcher into my cup.

The resulting image is presented in a frame with shattered glass, juxtaposed with the imposing wooden mass. Interestingly, Thomas Hirschhorn expressed his disapproval of the piece.