You Had To Be There, hand made wooden chairs and table, hand poured soy candles with essential oils, 2020
Detail of candles
You Had To Be There is an interactive multisensory sculptural environment that consists of two low wooden chairs and an accompanying table set with four small jar candles. The purpose of the piece was to create an immersive ambient space that subverts expectations of what sculpture is and uses scent to stimulate memory and emotional response. Most artworks use either explicit or abstract imagery to send a particular message or make the viewer feel a certain way. You Had To Be There takes a different approach – rather than sending a particular message, the artwork offers the viewer an experience without an agenda. The chairs provide a space for the viewer to rest and reflect, and the candles use various scents to stimulate memory. Instead of telling the viewer what to think, You Had To Be There simply sets the mood for the viewer to reflect on whatever they choose.
Craft is incredibly important to me – in fact, I consider myself much more of a craftsman than an artist. I find that the simple objects and structures that we interact with on a daily basis have a much greater influence on our day to day lives than the museum pieces that get most of the attention. In short, I believe art is a conspiracy of pretention between artists and viewers, but craft is honest. You Had To Be There was created to be honest; in many ways it is a voiceless piece – it says nothing, instead simply inviting the viewer to use it and reflect. In fact, may viewers don’t even realize they’re interacting with a “sculpture,” they assumed the piece was simply accessory craft and therefore used the piece without trying to read it, which is exactly what I wanted. The experience as a whole is honest, because many viewers don’t even realize it’s happening.
