Visual StudiesJessica Casper
THE SPECTACLE OF THE WINDOW DISPLAY
“The show window, an eruption of theater into the centers of commercial activity, becomes […] a distinctly new medium of artistic expression, one characterized by unique tension between commercial and aesthetic interests.”
--Stuart Culver, “What Manikins Want”
My work addresses the interaction between art and consumer culture found in show window displays. As one of the earliest forms of advertising, the show window’s status as art is not universally recognized, but I am interested in what remains a complex, visual medium—a spectacle as well as a disputed art form. The installation simulating a window display concerns my personal experience and personal reactions to the commercial world, while orange peels signify an outer shell and an art historical reference to luxury commodities correlating to sexual desire. I am investigating issues of the ephemeral and the superficial that correspond to the fleeting nature of desire and fashion, while at the same time presenting a public view of the fine line that exists between art and commercial display.
SECTOR C: Art Practice & Technology
ADVISERS: Michael Leja | Zachariah Rockhill