Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, Cream 3: contemporary art in culture (pg 129)
Immediate Response
My immediate response to this piece is a feeling of excitement and chaos. It kind of made me smile and immediately caught my eye, because it’s always cool to see things separated into its building blocks. Seeing the jagged pieces of wood also present a feeling of danger involved, almost as if this piece could injure you. It also reminded me of all the heavy lifting I used to have to do when I would help my father move furniture into the house.
Objective Description
The piece is composed of wood, paint and stenciled lettering. The wooden crate is on its corner, which has been broken and has shattered into several pieces. The packaging peanuts which appear to have filled the crate are spilling out all around the sides. The pieces of wood that have broken off of the crate have sharp, jagged edges, and there are the words “HANDLE WITH CARE” spray painted along one side of the crate. The main focal point of the piece is the area of contact between the ground and the crate, and is where all the action is happening.
Technical Decisions
The decision to use wood was a smart decision, because it adds a huge level of realism to the piece, since regular crates are also made out of wood. By having the crate on its corner the way it is, the piece becomes extremely dynamic. The motion of the piece is also shown though the decision to put jagged pieces of wood splintering off away from the bottom. By placing this piece in the middle of an open floor, the artists have also created a very chaotic focal point. Adding in the escaping packaging peanuts continues to add more realism to the piece, and a bit more chaos.
The Work in the World
This piece relates to the real world because it is probably a pretty common occurance in the crate moving world. Wood is not the strongest material, especially when dropped on the corner. It also relates to the real world just through the pure chaos it depicts. In today’s world, there is chaos almost wherever you go, and if you attempt to package it up it will usually violently escape.
The Story It Tells
This piece tells the tragic story of team of movers who were carrying this crate. They accidentally dropped it, breaking the crate open and releasing the delicate contents within. As stated before, this piece seems to deal entirely with chaos. Every aspect of this piece screams accidental disarray. From the position of the crate, to the use of splintered wood on the floor, this piece creates a strong sense of excitement within the viewer. One could also interpret this piece as a loss innocence, as the HANDLE WITH CARE