Stage Left was on view at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville's Downtown Gallery from January 24 - March 8, 2018.
“Stage left” is a term used in theatre to direct actors as they move around the stage. Though a term traditionally used to orient, it is used here as a foil to highlight the viewer’s disorientation within the fabricated space, while reinforcing theatrical associations with the installation. As people move through the gallery, spaces recede and reflect, sometimes offering a glimpse into another room, sometimes reflecting back the space one is in, and occasionally reflecting a reflection. Additionally, exposed studs on one side of each wall create a sense of front and back (or stage and backstage) that shifts throughout the gallery.
Objects such as sheets, blinds, and picture frames conjure the context of the home, charging this “stage” with a sense of a private space.