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Art Shanty Projects 2007

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Darshshanty

Darshanty drawing
Darshanty drawing

Concept drawing

Darshshanty | Media List


Statement

Darshanty Stephen Rife
CONCEPT
Darshan is a Sanskrit word, sometimes used in Urdu, meaning sight, vision, apparition, or glimpse. It is derived from the root drsh, which means "to see" (compare the Greek derkomai). The term is commonly used for visions of the divine; that is, of a deity or holy person or artifact. Darshan is compounded with the term shanty to emphasize the extraterrestrial character of this piece, which invites participants to witness the cosmic system of blessing and loss so often left out of outhouses.

In the interest of creating an art shanty that is interactive, my piece is designed to engage its visitor-users on a more personal level than most. The structure will be comprised primarily of air, and will have no walls, roof, or entry architecture. Normally, these elements would lure art lovers (and their opposite) with the promise of respite from Medicine Lake’s freezing winds, but the Darshanty is, in purpose, only half human. From a distance its simple appearance might suggest a spiritual sanctuary, while others will be more comfortable seeing an ashtray built by ancient astronauts. An array of black wood beams will stand frozen in the lake’s surface, forming a junglegym-like octagon. Someone venturing between the beams to the interior of the structure (there is no front) will find a small table at the center of the space. A hole at the center of the table mimics the one used by anglers, but script burned into the table’s surface reads: “GIVE UP WHAT YOU WISH – MATCHES BELOW.” This invitation encircles the hole in both English and Spanish, and may be obscured, periodically, by new fallen snow. A small drawer in the table’s side contains a book of matches in a tin box, as well as a pencil and pad of paper. These items will be replenished as needed in the course of the exhibit. A detachable metal wastebasket, its interior painted black, is affixed to the underside of the table to catch material placed in the hole.

The drama of Darshanty consists in the play of gift and loss. This drama is aided by two transparent images, fixed and backlit (by daylight) at the top of the structure. Due to their angle at the intersection of beams, the images will be viewable only by standing directly below, at the edge of the table. One image shows an old woman, staring out from thick glasses, a supplemental oxygen tube strapped beneath her nose. The other image shows a fire, framed by what appears to be a door.