Branchville Gallery, Connecticut, USA
"Utility of Obsession: All Things Orange"

http://www.box1035.com/orange.html

Photo: installation view of orange books, orange video and snake on caution platform

... The “utility of obsession” relates to the elimination of uncertainty by identifying certain synthetic truths. As the politics of orange alerts arouse fear, and fashionable colors encourage conformity, the drive for self-preservation and comfort of belonging maintain the system.....

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A construction of stacked, bright orange bedroom nightstands in a doorless cave-like space, alludes to the notion of insecurity and assaults on privacy. Buckets and drawers with holes are denied their typical function and act as conduits in a self-perpetuating system of recycled water. Wire pods hanging from the ceiling hold unrelated orange objects, reminiscent of the way spiders wrap their prey. A video shows a woman in the woods in an orange shirt during a heavy snow fall, and a voice absurdly sings lyrics reflecting her obsession with the color orange. While an obsession may be defined as a persistent disturbing preoccupation, Mantione and Stepanian have used the idea of obsession both as a conceptual point of departure and a process to inspire their creative act. The color orange is used as the object of a synthetic obsession creating a sense of order and focus. The utility of obsession relates to the elimination of uncertainty by identifying certain synthetic truths. In an oppressive society colors can be used as triggers for instilling fear and enforcing power, and in revolutions they may reminders of the presence of resistance. As the politics of orange alerts arouse anxiety, and fashionable colors encourage conformity, the drive for self-preservation and the comfort of belonging maintain the system.

Collaborative Concepts,
New York, USA

http://www.box1035.com/drainage.html

Photo: "Drainage Room" with "Life Support," "Mouth Video" and pipes carrying steel ball bearings around the room

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. This drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

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In the Drainage room, the walls and ceiling are covered with aluminum flashing and the floor is carpeted with imitation turf. A continuous complex of white metal drainage pipes horizontally line three walls of the space, winding downward in a constant slant. Steel ball bearings placed into the mouth of the pipe travel through the pipes for over a minute, creating a rich aural experience.

A monitor plays a video of a dog performing tricks for kibbles dispensed through a drain pipe. Another monitor displays a close-up of an open mouth saying, “Aaaahhhhh.” The voice has been time expanded and layered to create a chant-like drone.

In Life Support, a system of pipes recycle water from a bucket. The water comes out of three open pipes at the top of a white Adirondack chair, and flows back through a set of pipes.

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. If the seeking of pleasure is assumed to be a factual human disposition, it seems logical that the gratification of desire, or the hope of future gratification is worth the effort of achieving it. But is there a hierarchy of pleasures that dictates our behavior? Can intellectual fulfillment be equated with lust or hunger? Is sensory stimulation an end in itself? Are pleasures quantifiable or measurable? Is our hunger as human beings any different from that of a dog?

As individuals and as a society we are under constant forces of psychological, emotional, and physical depletion. We are drained by our desires, hopes and needs. Our resources and energies dwindle. Yet this drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

Collaborative Concepts,
New York, USA

http://www.box1035.com/drainage.html

Photo: "Drainage Room" with "Life Support," "Mouth Video" and pipes carrying steel ball bearings around the room

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. This drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

More...

In the Drainage room, the walls and ceiling are covered with aluminum flashing and the floor is carpeted with imitation turf. A continuous complex of white metal drainage pipes horizontally line three walls of the space, winding downward in a constant slant. Steel ball bearings placed into the mouth of the pipe travel through the pipes for over a minute, creating a rich aural experience.

A monitor plays a video of a dog performing tricks for kibbles dispensed through a drain pipe. Another monitor displays a close-up of an open mouth saying, “Aaaahhhhh.” The voice has been time expanded and layered to create a chant-like drone.

In Life Support, a system of pipes recycle water from a bucket. The water comes out of three open pipes at the top of a white Adirondack chair, and flows back through a set of pipes.

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. If the seeking of pleasure is assumed to be a factual human disposition, it seems logical that the gratification of desire, or the hope of future gratification is worth the effort of achieving it. But is there a hierarchy of pleasures that dictates our behavior? Can intellectual fulfillment be equated with lust or hunger? Is sensory stimulation an end in itself? Are pleasures quantifiable or measurable? Is our hunger as human beings any different from that of a dog?

As individuals and as a society we are under constant forces of psychological, emotional, and physical depletion. We are drained by our desires, hopes and needs. Our resources and energies dwindle. Yet this drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

Collaborative Concepts,
New York, USA

http://www.box1035.com/drainage.html

Photo: "Tough Love" sculpture detail with beads and home construction materials by Stepanian

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. This drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

More...

In the Drainage room, the walls and ceiling are covered with aluminum flashing and the floor is carpeted with imitation turf. A continuous complex of white metal drainage pipes horizontally line three walls of the space, winding downward in a constant slant. Steel ball bearings placed into the mouth of the pipe travel through the pipes for over a minute, creating a rich aural experience.

A monitor plays a video of a dog performing tricks for kibbles dispensed through a drain pipe. Another monitor displays a close-up of an open mouth saying, “Aaaahhhhh.” The voice has been time expanded and layered to create a chant-like drone.

In Life Support, a system of pipes recycle water from a bucket. The water comes out of three open pipes at the top of a white Adirondack chair, and flows back through a set of pipes.

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. If the seeking of pleasure is assumed to be a factual human disposition, it seems logical that the gratification of desire, or the hope of future gratification is worth the effort of achieving it. But is there a hierarchy of pleasures that dictates our behavior? Can intellectual fulfillment be equated with lust or hunger? Is sensory stimulation an end in itself? Are pleasures quantifiable or measurable? Is our hunger as human beings any different from that of a dog?

As individuals and as a society we are under constant forces of psychological, emotional, and physical depletion. We are drained by our desires, hopes and needs. Our resources and energies dwindle. Yet this drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

Collaborative Concepts,
New York, USA

http://www.box1035.com/drainage.html

Photo: "party pooper" and "The Silver Screen" by Stepanian in the middle room, with view to the "Drainage room"

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. This drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

More...

In the Drainage room, the walls and ceiling are covered with aluminum flashing and the floor is carpeted with imitation turf. A continuous complex of white metal drainage pipes horizontally line three walls of the space, winding downward in a constant slant. Steel ball bearings placed into the mouth of the pipe travel through the pipes for over a minute, creating a rich aural experience.

A monitor plays a video of a dog performing tricks for kibbles dispensed through a drain pipe. Another monitor displays a close-up of an open mouth saying, “Aaaahhhhh.” The voice has been time expanded and layered to create a chant-like drone.

In Life Support, a system of pipes recycle water from a bucket. The water comes out of three open pipes at the top of a white Adirondack chair, and flows back through a set of pipes.

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. If the seeking of pleasure is assumed to be a factual human disposition, it seems logical that the gratification of desire, or the hope of future gratification is worth the effort of achieving it. But is there a hierarchy of pleasures that dictates our behavior? Can intellectual fulfillment be equated with lust or hunger? Is sensory stimulation an end in itself? Are pleasures quantifiable or measurable? Is our hunger as human beings any different from that of a dog?

As individuals and as a society we are under constant forces of psychological, emotional, and physical depletion. We are drained by our desires, hopes and needs. Our resources and energies dwindle. Yet this drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

Collaborative Concepts,
New York, USA

http://www.box1035.com/drainage.html

Photo: "party pooper" by Stepanian (glitter and home construction materials)

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. This drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

More...

In the Drainage room, the walls and ceiling are covered with aluminum flashing and the floor is carpeted with imitation turf. A continuous complex of white metal drainage pipes horizontally line three walls of the space, winding downward in a constant slant. Steel ball bearings placed into the mouth of the pipe travel through the pipes for over a minute, creating a rich aural experience.

A monitor plays a video of a dog performing tricks for kibbles dispensed through a drain pipe. Another monitor displays a close-up of an open mouth saying, “Aaaahhhhh.” The voice has been time expanded and layered to create a chant-like drone.

In Life Support, a system of pipes recycle water from a bucket. The water comes out of three open pipes at the top of a white Adirondack chair, and flows back through a set of pipes.

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. If the seeking of pleasure is assumed to be a factual human disposition, it seems logical that the gratification of desire, or the hope of future gratification is worth the effort of achieving it. But is there a hierarchy of pleasures that dictates our behavior? Can intellectual fulfillment be equated with lust or hunger? Is sensory stimulation an end in itself? Are pleasures quantifiable or measurable? Is our hunger as human beings any different from that of a dog?

As individuals and as a society we are under constant forces of psychological, emotional, and physical depletion. We are drained by our desires, hopes and needs. Our resources and energies dwindle. Yet this drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

Collaborative Concepts,
New York, USA

http://www.box1035.com/drainage.html

Photo: detail, "party pooper" by Stepanian

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. This drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

More...

In the Drainage room, the walls and ceiling are covered with aluminum flashing and the floor is carpeted with imitation turf. A continuous complex of white metal drainage pipes horizontally line three walls of the space, winding downward in a constant slant. Steel ball bearings placed into the mouth of the pipe travel through the pipes for over a minute, creating a rich aural experience.

A monitor plays a video of a dog performing tricks for kibbles dispensed through a drain pipe. Another monitor displays a close-up of an open mouth saying, “Aaaahhhhh.” The voice has been time expanded and layered to create a chant-like drone.

In Life Support, a system of pipes recycle water from a bucket. The water comes out of three open pipes at the top of a white Adirondack chair, and flows back through a set of pipes.

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. If the seeking of pleasure is assumed to be a factual human disposition, it seems logical that the gratification of desire, or the hope of future gratification is worth the effort of achieving it. But is there a hierarchy of pleasures that dictates our behavior? Can intellectual fulfillment be equated with lust or hunger? Is sensory stimulation an end in itself? Are pleasures quantifiable or measurable? Is our hunger as human beings any different from that of a dog?

As individuals and as a society we are under constant forces of psychological, emotional, and physical depletion. We are drained by our desires, hopes and needs. Our resources and energies dwindle. Yet this drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

Collaborative Concepts,
New York, USA

http://www.box1035.com/drainage.html

Photo: "the middle room" with "ca ching" sculpture reflected in the mirror under the seat by Mantione, "screwed" and "Gorgeous" by Stepanian

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. This drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

More...

In the Drainage room, the walls and ceiling are covered with aluminum flashing and the floor is carpeted with imitation turf. A continuous complex of white metal drainage pipes horizontally line three walls of the space, winding downward in a constant slant. Steel ball bearings placed into the mouth of the pipe travel through the pipes for over a minute, creating a rich aural experience.

A monitor plays a video of a dog performing tricks for kibbles dispensed through a drain pipe. Another monitor displays a close-up of an open mouth saying, “Aaaahhhhh.” The voice has been time expanded and layered to create a chant-like drone.

In Life Support, a system of pipes recycle water from a bucket. The water comes out of three open pipes at the top of a white Adirondack chair, and flows back through a set of pipes.

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. If the seeking of pleasure is assumed to be a factual human disposition, it seems logical that the gratification of desire, or the hope of future gratification is worth the effort of achieving it. But is there a hierarchy of pleasures that dictates our behavior? Can intellectual fulfillment be equated with lust or hunger? Is sensory stimulation an end in itself? Are pleasures quantifiable or measurable? Is our hunger as human beings any different from that of a dog?

As individuals and as a society we are under constant forces of psychological, emotional, and physical depletion. We are drained by our desires, hopes and needs. Our resources and energies dwindle. Yet this drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

Collaborative Concepts,
New York, USA

http://www.box1035.com/drainage.html

Photo: "screwed" by Stepanian (acrylic and home construction materials with beads)

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. This drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

More...

In the Drainage room, the walls and ceiling are covered with aluminum flashing and the floor is carpeted with imitation turf. A continuous complex of white metal drainage pipes horizontally line three walls of the space, winding downward in a constant slant. Steel ball bearings placed into the mouth of the pipe travel through the pipes for over a minute, creating a rich aural experience.

A monitor plays a video of a dog performing tricks for kibbles dispensed through a drain pipe. Another monitor displays a close-up of an open mouth saying, “Aaaahhhhh.” The voice has been time expanded and layered to create a chant-like drone.

In Life Support, a system of pipes recycle water from a bucket. The water comes out of three open pipes at the top of a white Adirondack chair, and flows back through a set of pipes.

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. If the seeking of pleasure is assumed to be a factual human disposition, it seems logical that the gratification of desire, or the hope of future gratification is worth the effort of achieving it. But is there a hierarchy of pleasures that dictates our behavior? Can intellectual fulfillment be equated with lust or hunger? Is sensory stimulation an end in itself? Are pleasures quantifiable or measurable? Is our hunger as human beings any different from that of a dog?

As individuals and as a society we are under constant forces of psychological, emotional, and physical depletion. We are drained by our desires, hopes and needs. Our resources and energies dwindle. Yet this drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

Collaborative Concepts,
New York, USA

http://www.box1035.com/drainage.html

Photo: "Gorgeous" by Stepanian (acrylic, glitter, mirrors, and home construction materials)

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. This drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.

More...

In the Drainage room, the walls and ceiling are covered with aluminum flashing and the floor is carpeted with imitation turf. A continuous complex of white metal drainage pipes horizontally line three walls of the space, winding downward in a constant slant. Steel ball bearings placed into the mouth of the pipe travel through the pipes for over a minute, creating a rich aural experience.

A monitor plays a video of a dog performing tricks for kibbles dispensed through a drain pipe. Another monitor displays a close-up of an open mouth saying, “Aaaahhhhh.” The voice has been time expanded and layered to create a chant-like drone.

In Life Support, a system of pipes recycle water from a bucket. The water comes out of three open pipes at the top of a white Adirondack chair, and flows back through a set of pipes.

Drainage relates to the energy expended in the act of desire. If the seeking of pleasure is assumed to be a factual human disposition, it seems logical that the gratification of desire, or the hope of future gratification is worth the effort of achieving it. But is there a hierarchy of pleasures that dictates our behavior? Can intellectual fulfillment be equated with lust or hunger? Is sensory stimulation an end in itself? Are pleasures quantifiable or measurable? Is our hunger as human beings any different from that of a dog?

As individuals and as a society we are under constant forces of psychological, emotional, and physical depletion. We are drained by our desires, hopes and needs. Our resources and energies dwindle. Yet this drainage process can only exist as long as there is some source that feeds the system at a rate that equals the rate of depletion over time. The process is insatiable and self-fulfilling.