Artist: UNKNOWN
(19??-??)
The First One’s Always Free
2011
Installation

Discounted candy catches our eye, a shiny distraction technique, much like fireworks.  When dawn breaks however, the aftermath of an unknown battle is evident.  The wall is awash with various stains, suggestive of the slaughter incurred by junk food on our digestive tracts, while the patterns on the floor were created by the same food being mashed into the carpeting, symbolic of Americans under the boot of the snack food lobby.  The fight against the manufacturers and the actual products proves to, in fact, be costly.  It becomes clear that this installation is a classic trap and we are all casualties.

$5,700.-

Artist: UNKNOWN
(19??-??)
Winter Green
2011
Installation – Porcelain, Scented Polyurethane

The bathroom is designed for human evacuation.  The aromas generally associated with bodily functions are unpleasant ones, and we anticipate these smells when entering the restroom.  Here the artist has attempted to illustrate the digestive circle by installing scented urine cakes that radiate a pleasant fragrance (wintergreen) which we normally associate with our tongue.  When we first enter the men’s room, our olfactory senses are in fact fooled into thinking that we’re about to dine, when in reality we are about to discharge, thus completing the circle.

$3,300.-

Artist: UNKNOWN
(19??-??)
Shell Game
2011
Installation – Various Metals, Liquid Soap

Here, the artist seems to present us with three identical hand washing stations in a typical restroom; however, appearances are deceiving.  A certain percentage will discover only one station contains soap.  The stations are, in effect, playing a familiar game with the viewer, one that is frequently led by con artists in dark alleys.  Clearly, we should not trust what is simply familiar to us.  It is a delicate reminder that even our closest friends may be deceiving us.

$3,300.-

Artist: UNKNOWN
(19??-??)
Skelevision
2011
Installation – Metal

$5,900.- 

Artist: UNKNOWN
(19??-??)
The Elephant In The Room
2011
Wood Veneer, Felt, Plastic Cover

A pool table at the most central location in an otherwise plain and austere office space is like a sigh of relief. It suggests camaraderie, an escape from the monotony of work and the possibility of human connection. After reading the rules, however, one finds that the game must be played after hours, to avoid disturbing the very milieu that elicits a desperate need to escape. The sting of being required to stay in the oppressive space revokes the joy completely.  The tattered protective cover represents the viewer’s heartbreak when they realize that they will most likely never play the game.

$2,100.- 

Artist: C.M. BARKER
(19??-??)
Salvage
2011
Paper, Ink, Spray Mount, Mounting Board

The artist has salvaged discarded art and assigned it new context. Nestled among objects intended to distract and remind him of any humanity outside the stale, beige surroundings, the artist proudly displays this work as a conversation starter, and as a reminder that while the external world is still a few hours away, there is hope that it could be closer than time allows.

$250.- (for the pair)