Two days before the opening of Tatiana Klusak’s solo
exhibition at Fluxx, Under control, I
caught a sneak peek on the gallery’s website which featured a picture of
“Endurable Wear” (bellow).
The sculpture intrigued me so I followed the link on Fluxx’s
website to Klusak’s homepage http://tatianaklusak.com/index.html . Here I found an image of the piece as well as her artist statement. In short, Klusak is interested in exploring
tools and their functions. Her works are
a result of her own “inability to confidently socialize” making her work
personal. Her sculptural pieces are in a
sense, inventions which will remain dusty, never worn, and never used to
compensate for her inabilities, thus creating a paradox between functional
works and their inability to actually perform.
I strongly suggest referencing her website where Klusak has done a good
job clearly explaining her motives and intentions throughout her sculptures.
After reading the artist statement and looking at other
examples of Klusak’s work I knew “Endurable Wear” was some type of assisting
tool, and my guess (based on the suspenders and durability of materials) was
that it was intended for use in the work place.
Because I could not conceptually grasp just what it was the piece was
meant to be used for, I printed off a photo of “Endurable Wear” and thought of
a series of questions to analyze the piece which might lead me to an answer
(yes, I am an art nerd, and actually do stuff like this).
What was the subject meant to endure?
Define “endurable”
How can this be used in the work place?
I took the photo and my questions to my neighborhood pub
where I met my husband Andrew and engaged him in a conversation on Conceptual
Art. After showing him the picture and
asking him what he thought the piece meant, he looked at it for a minute or two
and said “Maybe it’s an SNM or torture device.” Not knowing Tatiana or her artwork, I can
see this as being a common first assumption.
Several sharpened dowels poking into someone’s butt simultaneously might
look a little kinky. I entertained this
possibility and thought maybe the trousers are meant to create pain that one
must endure to sympathize with someone who has been sodomized. This didn’t fit with the motif of Klusak’s
work as a whole so I quickly rejected the idea.
I noticed the dowels were attached to strings so that when
applied pressure from one’s butt, the dowels would not in fact poke, but
release. I thought maybe, it could be a
butt scratcher. Maybe there is a way to
position one’s self so these dowels are actually massaging the butt, not
hurting it. Does Tatiana have an itchy
butt and this has caused her to create such a piece? Doubtful.
The day of the opening I thought about the piece a lot. Frustrated that I hadn’t figured out what the
purpose was, but excited its true purpose would be revealed. I arrived at Fluxx late (10 pm) and to my
surprise the gallery was still hopping with a big crowd. The trousers were the first thing I saw but I
decided to skip them and examine each other piece first. Having known and worked with Klusak over the
past few months, I made a point of saying “hi” to her before circling the
gallery. A multiple panel art film featuring
Klusak dabbing mustard on bread pieces in assembly line fashion, a measuring
stick with several ranges of motion, and an audible device were all on
display. Each were witty and well
thought out. I turned the corner to sign
the guest book and saw two people leaning on a pedestal with one of Klusak’s
sculptures on it. When I first arrived,
I saw her take an empty beer can off the same pedestal. Here comes my negative gallery rant:
If you are going to an art show simply to drink free booze,
the least you can do is display proper artiquette. I enjoy the laid back atmosphere of Fluxx and
appreciate that it invites all genres of people. I do however find it unattractive when
patrons engage in drunken conversations, completely oblivious to the fact that
they are at an art show, leaning on a work of art. More specifically, I have seen the same guy
at Fluxx openings the past three months, being drunk, hitting on girls, and
showing no respect to the artists. Okay,
now that I got that out of my system…
I reached Klusak and enthusiastically asked her about her
piece. Klusak indulged me by simply
explaining the piece: “It can only poke you if you are sitting down.” Aha!
The light bulb went off, and I felt instant gratification. This piece is made to increase
productivity! Examining the piece again,
I could clearly see that when standing erect the dowels would not poke you, but
if you were to sit down, the metal plate would force them to poke you.
This concept, so simple, yet so rewarding is the essence of
conceptual artwork. As an artist of a new generation of conceptual artists, I find Klusak’s sculptures to be
intriguing, thought provoking, and extraordinarily original. The fact that you can attend her show or view
her sculptures without finding reference to another artist makes her works
personal and engaging. I think Klusak
has a great future in sculpture and look forward to her future inventions. “Endurable Wear” and other works featured in Under control will be shown at Fluxx
through January 30th. Don’t
miss this show
