Inherited Traits Exhibit

A piece of artwork that really stood out to me was the family tree of name brand foods. I thought it was both comical (Quaker Oats having an affair [presumably] with Aunt Jamima. Just like Benjamin Franklin) but also really complex, clean and beautiful. I loved the addition of the wallpaper, an important quality that makes it seem like we're in our grandmother's home. It also shows that all races are related, not necessarily by blood, but just as human beings.
I also loved the row of televisions where the mother and father were trying to perfect the American accent while she tried to perfect the respective language of her parents. I thought it was raw, powerful, and also comical to see their reactions or hear their attempts. It really had a great message of assimilation in the United States or anywhere else in the world.
A piece of artwork that I really couldn't stand was that robot going to two different chairs. I understood the point, or at least I think I did, which had to do with parents who were constantly fighting, hence the breaking glass, the yelling, etc, and the robot is the baby trying to go to both. I just thought the sound was completely obnoxious and totally unnecessary. I mean, yes, it was necessary, but that particular track was unbearable. I remember going through the whole exhibit and hearing that annoying cry and I wanted to get out. Not the best choice, in my humble opinion.
The other two pieces, who I believe,was by the same artist, showed a digital installation (by two different projectors) and they discussed the themes of the Japanese imprisonment in camps during World War II and the second one discussed the issue of slavery in the founding days of America. Both pieces were very simple, but they made a very raw and powerful presentation.
Lastly, there was the documentation of a woman's mother in a white gown from when she was one to seventeen (if I remember correctly). The mother wanted to follow the grandmother's tradition and do it with her daughter but ultimately failed to do so. So, throughout the whole project, there are the pictures of her mother and a picture of the exact location that her mother was in for her photo. That way, she was literally forcing and placing herself in the family tradition. It was a great and interesting piece. The explanation before the whole thing started was most definitely needs.

Overall, I absolutely adored the exhibit, minus that one, obnoxious (in my opinion) piece. It was all powerful, interesting, and thought-provoking. I think it was one of the more successful exhibit at TCNJ.