Pamela Flynn
Road Shrines: A Peripheral Blur
works on paper
April 29 – May 23, 2009
Reception: Thursday, April 30 6:00-8:00
Phoenix Gallery
210 11th Avenue @ 25th St. suite 902
New York, NY 10001
Phoenix Gallery
210 11th Avenue @ 25th St. suite 902
New York, NY 10001
This exhibited is funded through the Puffin Foundation
My project, Road Shrines: A Peripheral Blur, is based on photographs of road shrines located in New Jersey (funded through the Puffin Foundation).
These images are the result of my conscious effort to make works that immortalize the shrines. This has been an interesting, convoluted process: to celebrate the object that is itself a celebration. The art cannot be/is not a celebration of the person killed, since other than what the shrine provides, I had no insight into that person or the accident when I was making the images. I only had the visual efforts of someone who marked the spot and celebrated someone’s life/death. It is from this space that I began my project.
My notion is that, in reality, art work does not reach the general public and that contemporary art seems to only reach a select viewing audience. This art work creates a dialogue with ordinary people. Car accidents have a random nature to them. We all become ordinary people when in grief. This project creates a dialogue charged by the leveling nature of grief.
Road shrines are on most highways in New Jersey. One may or may not take note of them. This project acknowledges the existence of these shrines and acknowledges the importance of each one to someone. This project explores the pain of loss. One must acknowledge the fact that someone felt compelled to erect the shrine on the place of death. This project asks the viewer to stop and listen to the silent scream of their fellow earth mate.
These images are the result of my conscious effort to make works that immortalize the shrines. This has been an interesting, convoluted process: to celebrate the object that is itself a celebration. The art cannot be/is not a celebration of the person killed, since other than what the shrine provides, I had no insight into that person or the accident when I was making the images. I only had the visual efforts of someone who marked the spot and celebrated someone’s life/death. It is from this space that I began my project.
My notion is that, in reality, art work does not reach the general public and that contemporary art seems to only reach a select viewing audience. This art work creates a dialogue with ordinary people. Car accidents have a random nature to them. We all become ordinary people when in grief. This project creates a dialogue charged by the leveling nature of grief.
Road shrines are on most highways in New Jersey. One may or may not take note of them. This project acknowledges the existence of these shrines and acknowledges the importance of each one to someone. This project explores the pain of loss. One must acknowledge the fact that someone felt compelled to erect the shrine on the place of death. This project asks the viewer to stop and listen to the silent scream of their fellow earth mate.
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