ARTIFACTUAL & URBAN DECAY
OF THE
ARTIFACTS
To anyone that does not have an artistic mind, or does not accept abstract art as a valid art form, Heidelberg might look like a garbage dumb. Items have been placed in the area in a way that seems random but it gives the place a very interesting and haunting feeling. Most of the items have been exposed to the elements of nature for quite a number of years. Some have held up better than others.
The photo above looks somewhat like a pile of random discarded toys, but in this setting it is a compilation of artifacts, each bringing its own story to the project. “Each displaced object is collaged with others and with a mismatched environment, whether rural, industrial or urban. In all cases an allegorical aesthetic of the fragment is opened up which may be read as revelatory of the operation of capitalism” (Stallabrass, 2009). This excerpt written by Julian Stallabrass works well to depict what is going on with this arrangement of old toys. The urban environment surrounding the toys looks out of place which makes the scene look noticeably more chaotic than if it were in a garbage dump. It is also interesting, as well as disturbing, to think about the fact that all toys end up in a similar state of being once they are discarded. At least in this ‘garbage sanctuary’ they have a purpose and can continue to carry out their usefulness as objects of entertainment.
Many of the items Guyton uses for his pieces are stuffed animals and dolls which are designed for being indoors, away from mother nature. The stuffed animals shown on the boat in the picture above all have matted and wet looking fur which gives their charm an equally creepy side. If any of these items were displayed in a household, they would be seen as rubbish, but in this setting they seem fitting. It is interesting how the surrounding area can play such an important role in how we see individual objects. I find these ‘boat items’ to be the most interesting artifacts of the entire collection, as they are given a look of neglect, which can be seen as reflective of the way Detroit was treated after the financial collapse.