Junk and Light Capture Social Decay and Renewal
February 20, 2013
What happens when you mix recycling, art, and shadow puppets? Decadence Dance! Decadence Dance is the latest art exhibit by Emmanuel, or Manny, Cortes. The exhibit opened Feb. 11in Gallery 217, on the second floor of the Fine Arts building.
The exhibit consists of five unique art pieces composed of various scrap items, including scrap metal, computer keyboard keys, belts, circuit boards, cell phones, wires, electrical cords, Christmas light bulbs, CDs, computer mouse, hemp string, and bike reflector—basically, everything but the kitchen sink. Fused together and screwed onto what looks like the bottoms of old wooden chair seats, Cortes’ three-dimensional collages look like “piles of garbage,” according to his artist statement. However, he explains that “when recycled by light, they produce images of collapse, hope, transformation, and freedom.” Each piece is incomplete without a light shone on it at a certain angle. Therefore, each piece has two facets: the physical composition of “garbage” and the shadow-image created by light.
For more information about this exhibit, check out mannymanstercortes.com. The closing reception takes place Friday, Feb. 22, 6 – 9 p.m..
