Mining the MIA
If I were to make my own installations of items from MIA to challenge the viewer’s assumptions about those works through their proximity and interaction I would choose the three works shown above. I would have the pieces in a room that has black walls and black floors possibly with dim or red lighting, but with the pictures brightly illuminated. One of the pieces is a huge picture of an open mouth. The next picture is of a framed painting that has the words Normal Desires in it hidden in a mess of black paint. I would also include the sculptures of what looks to be two dead sheep lying on the ground mirroring the other’s position. I believe that the effect of placing these three pieces together would be eery and disturbing. I want the pieces to make the viewer think about things not talked about and about private life. The Normal Desires painting is what spurred the whole idea. The picture is dark and messy looking, not "normal" in any way. When I saw it gave me a feeling that was the opposite of normal. It was a complete contradiction of itself. I wanted to intensify this feeling so I added other disturbing imagery. I think that the images of the dead animals and the large open mouth strengthen the original message of the painting. The disturbing display is meant to create questions from the viewer. The display conveys an unsettling vision of the unusual and things usually kept private.
