🖼️ mike kelly's deodorized central mass with satellites

this was an unforgettable installation at the museum of modern art. it was absolutely beautiful, no more words would do it justice, but let me see if i can try to describe it. a disclaimer, like this phrase suggests “with beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, as always these are just my interpretations for which i think the piece could represent. now lets get into it :)

this piece of work was created in 1991, and it is a huge literal wad of stuffed animals that are suspended from the ceiling. around them are huge air fresheners that continuously mist “deodorizers” for the space (which i will get into later). kelly’s choice of art supplies, stuffed animals that were obtained from thrift stores and yard sales, giving a vast difference from traditional works that prefer supplies in pristine condition. these are toys that bear the emblems of use. but, along with this, they also are nostalgic to us and act as the representation of the memories of our childhood. 

looking from the perspective of the historical time period of the 1990s, the berlin wall fell down and the american market was in a state where galleries and artists had a tough time selling their work. kelly has created a piece of work that explores this idea of consumerism, especially in excess, which could be a possible direct reflection of what was seen in the time period. 

📷 photo courtesy of MOMA

now, let me get into the “deodorizers” that i have mentioned above. these were installations of huge machines that released this pine scent (at least what i smelled). as a student of science, thinking about the installation as a whole with the stuffed animals AND the deodorizers, they are actually very contradictory. hear me out - we correlate memories and senses, with certain senses unlocking memories for us. using that information, lets backtrack on this installation. the stuffed animals were established to be nostalgic, with them unlocking memories of childhood. but when we think deodorizing, we think cleansing, so basically the cleansing of the nostalgia? this erasing of the past was an interesting take in my opinion of the artist, something that stood out from the rest of the exhibits. 

if given the opportunity, i would highly recommend the museum overall for sure, but definitely a visit to mike kelly’s deodorized central mass with satellites.

~ ☀️