"No Kill Shelter' pops," art history professor Adrian Randolph said. "I think it is terrific to have such a visually dynamic and retina-zapping installation at the heart of the Hop."
The exhibition, a "no kill shelter" for old technology, features outdated recycled models of televisions and computers lined up against the walls. Mack attempts to illustrate how society is constantly rendering technology obsolete and said that over time, the public begins to fetishize this antiquated technology.
"There is something precious' about vintage items, such as old cameras and telephones, the type of stuff you might see in an Urban Outfitters window display," Mack said.
Mack also comments on the idea of art as a "product" and the way in which it functions as a commodity to attract a specific market. In "No Kill Shelter," she focuses on the feminine "market" of design and domesticity. Mack covered each TV and computer screen with various household materials like as wrapping paper, decoupage, magazine cutouts and scrapbook paper.
"These materials are meant to celebrate that which is usually thrown away," Mack said. "I think they complement nicely the sort of kitschy, crafty element of the show."
Mack created the animations displayed throughout the screens which consist of 100 designs compiled onto 10 pieces of paper, play in a loop from DVD players hidden underneath the devices. Each screen projects distinct images and patterns moving in different directions. Mack believes that the computers, which often glitch and stutter the animations because of their age, add a certain "sweetness" to the exhibition.
Davey Barnwell '13, a studio art major who helped Mack organize her show, describes the art as blurring the lines between film, sculpture, drawing and painting. Her graphics are sophisticated and technical, yet bold and whimsical at the same time.
"I think the work is deceptively carefree and effervescent," Barnwell said. "Jodie makes oscillations of color and shape look effortless."
This year's faculty projects are diverse, ranging from art exhibitions to musical performances and sound installations. Randolph, a member of the executive steering committee, was an integral force in selecting "No Kill Shelter" this term.
"I am personally particularly enthusiastic about the Year of the Arts because it offered us a chance to highlight the extraordinary work of our faculty in the arts," Randolph said. "We have world-class artists whose work, like that of Jodie Mack, deserves to be seen, heard and felt by our community."
Mack described her exhibition as "a flower's most beautiful moment before it withers." She wants to capture the beauty and endearing quality of objects whose time has passed. Mack hopes that her show will produce an "aha" moment as students witness the special combination of motion and technology.
"Every time I pass by her exhibition as I am walking through the Hop, it immediately grabs my attention," Emma PeConga '16 said. "The vibrant colors and bright, moving animations instantly make me feel happier."
"No Kill Shelter" will be on display in the Strauss Gallery through May 5.
