Mike Kelley. Deodorized Central Mass with Satellites. 1991/1999. Plush toys sewn over wood and wire frames with styrofoam packing material, nylon rope, pulleys, steel hardware and hanging plates, fiberglass, car paint, and disinfectant. Overall dimensions variable.
The buzz surrounding the Mike Kelley show at PS1 has been alive and vibrant during its entire run and the deservingly so– it is truly the ultimate retrospective. Both my first and second trips to see the show lasted about 2 hours and that still wasn’t enough to feel like I had experienced its entirety. There are two factors that contribute to the lengthy viewing time: the first simply is that the exhibition spans all four floors of the museum and the second is that Kelley’s work can be uncomfortable to experience at times.
100 Reasons, Mike Kelley, Bob Flanagan, and Mike Kelley, 1991, 6:41 min, color, sound.
Whether its mangled stuffed animals or meticulously constructed models of buildings, Mike Kelley’s work always manages immerse you in the different psychologies that are present, allowing you to feel his intentions and relate with your own history. In addition to engaging our intellect, Kelley manages to captivate us on a visceral level with his many works that utilize sound. (Anyone who waits near the entrance to the museum for more than five minutes will experience the full effect of the screeching sound effects from his Krypton series.) Most notably, his prolific work with with video demonstrates his interest in immersing viewers in an uncomfortable scenario. For instance, one video, 100 Reasons, seems to last at least an hour when it is actually under 7 minutes because it consists of a single frame of a man’s buttock’s being slapped by a wooden paddle 100 times. Luckily this was screened in the theatre where I could comfortably cringe from my cushioned seat.
Other films were projected in larger galleries with no seat available. Viewers began leaning against the walls or even sitting on the floor. I wondered why the curators had decided against any seating accommodations. I doubt that it had anything to do the the artist’s intentions to further induce an uncomfortable experience for the audience….
Mike Kelley. Day is Done. 2005-06. Installation view in Mike Kelley at MoMA PS1, 2013. © 2013 MoMA PS1; Photo Matthew Septimus.
One of the more spectacular rooms was dedicated to Mike Kelley’s “Day is Done” series. Again I was confronted with creepy and disturbing content, but more playful than pieces like 100 Reasons. Walking through the “Day is Done” gallery was like wondering through a dreamscape, but more nightmarish. This effect was achieved with the architecture build to accompany that which was depicted in each video, as well as the play with screen shapes, and placement. Sounds were coming from all over the room but became louder when you drew closer to each video’s area, so there was something to see and hear from every corner and angle. The spooky halloween costumes in the color film were even more haunting paired with the original black and white photo collected from newspapers and yearbooks that had inspired the project.
This was the second time I had experience the retrospective and I would go back again. All the different nuances, both disturbing and playful, require a great deal of time and are captivating eno
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