Eileen Jakeway LBST 1105 Julie Hicks 10/30/13 McColl Center for the Visual Arts Response For

the intents and purposes of this paper, I hope to focus in on the work of Joseph Herscher. I think, however, that noting a few things about the history of the center itself is certainly worthwhile. The McColl Center is located in the building of an old church dating back to the early 1900s. It was deserted and then became home to lots of homeless people seeking warmth when a heat-giving fire burned it down. The main structure was saved with the inside being supported with iron beams to keep the building from collapsing. The original burn marks left by the fire were left intact. This history in addition to the experience of artists actually living in the center for the duration of their residency, makes the center a very intimate place that is closely connected to the Charlotte community. The space inside the center was very clearly partitioned off into sections for each artist. Joseph Hershers segment began on the left wall soon after one walked into the building. Lots of his work was displayed through videos shown on TVs mounted on the wall. The wall led into a corridor of sorts that bent around a corner and led to Hershers gallery. It was difficult to take it all in, because there was so much going on in each video, there were many videos and not that much space to see every video in great detail. I was naturally attracted by the videos because that was not what I was expecting. I was

surprised that his art was mostly shown through a screen, although after viewing The Page Turner, I could quite clearly see why it was so. I felt the most engaged when I was in the studio of the artist himself. To be surrounded by the gadgets and gizmos and everyday objects that Hersher uses to make us think about the nature of our world was very interesting. It was so accessible because it was there, right in front of me. Just like the artist was standing so close, talking to our class in real time. This surprised me. I did not know that he was going to be physically there or that he would actually take the time to talk to us. It was very surreal and enchanting. Also, coming in direct contact with the material made it much more real and created a deeper connection with the work once I actually saw it in action. I chose to focus on Joseph Herscher as my artist because I deeply connected with what he was doing. When taking physics in high school, I was intrigued. Despite failing miserably at the class itself, I was strangely fascinated to discover that the world worked in fundamentally different ways than I had ever perceived. Day after day, notion after notion would be dispelled and replaced with a theory or law. I learned a lot about science, but also thought deeply about these principles governing the fundamental functions of our universe. Joseph Herscher addresses many similar ideas in his art. The different layers of his work spoke to me. I saw three distinct comparisons being made: how things are supposed to work vs. how they actually work vs. how one makes them work. Herscher became a master of trial and error in learning how to harness objects and make them perform the function he desires, anything from cracking a Cadberry Crme Egg to brewing a cup of coffee. When speaking about his work, he mentioned his interest in

chain reactions, the small decisions we make or things we do that have much larger ramifications in the long run. The other aspect of his work is drawing attention to what is behind all the things we take for granted. While perhaps for us procuring a cup of coffee is as easy as shelling out $5 and waiting by a corner, there is a process behind this product. There is a farmer who grows the coffee beans, a company that processes and packs the beans and sells it to shops that make your coffee here. The roundabout process used by Herscher in The Office Assistant models this background. His goal was to draw attention to the value and effort and purpose behind all the things in our lives. Using the ordinary objects in unfamiliar ways grabs the audiences attention long enough to get them to think. I would have to say that the critical aesthetic characteristic in this body of work was movement. Joseph Hershers pieces were all about movement and the transfer of energy. Of things lifting things they shouldnt be able to or otherwise having unusual effects. I felt that the movement was essential to learning something more about the work and it kept me engaged. Tracking the motion of the art was like seeing a life unfold, not quite being able to predict what was about to happen next but seeing that it made sense once it was over. This piece drew me personally due to similar questions wrestled out in Physics class and the nature of the work. The inner child in me was certainly entertained while I was happy to take a 2 minute break from my own game of dominoes to be completely immersed in what would happen next. I suppose I felt reassured, knowing that the chaotic pieces of my life will one day fall together in ways I may not expect, but with the same end result of achieving a dream.

Hersher addressed lots of universal themes of the physical world we live in through his use of science and technology. However, in using the idea of universal themes and principles that somehow govern a universe, he also spoke to the way our society views life. There will always be conflicts regarding subjective interpretation v. objective truth, however we must seek to uncover these universalities and use them to our advantage. I also feel compelled to accept that some things may be out of my control, but that does not mean I am incapable of affecting them. Overall, I was very pleased with my visit to the McColl Center. I look forward to return on November 9 to see The Dresser in action.