“˜Ecstasy’ alters viewers’ perceptions

Mushrooms are growing out of the floor of the Museum of
Contemporary Art ““ fungi of all shades, sizes and textures.
Upon a closer inspection, viewers realize these objects are not
mushrooms at all, but rather intricately handcrafted botanical
replicas arranged in loose clusters across the museum’s
concrete floor.

Such are the offerings on display at MOCA’s innovative new
exhibit, “Ecstasy: In and About Altered States,” on
display at the New Geffen Contemporary through Feb. 20.
“Ecstasy” features works created during the past 15
years by 29 different international artists, ranging from the
established to the still-emerging.

The common theme linking these works lies in their aim to
distort traditional notions of reality and illusion and to critique
conventional methods of perception.

At first glance, the exhibit seems to pay homage to the act of
viewing the world under the influence of narcotics. Images of
mushrooms abound throughout the exhibit, and the title itself
implicates the drug Ecstasy, commonly associated with recreational
rave culture.

But to write off the exhibit as merely a glorification of
narcotics would be an egregious error. After seeing the many
different layers and facets of “Ecstasy,” it becomes
clear that although the title subtly alludes to drug culture, it
mainly addresses the idea of ecstasy as an out-of-body experience
or a moment of incredible, passionate insight akin to an
epiphany.

And indeed, “Ecstasy” portrays art in a way that few
viewers are likely to have experienced prior to attending the
exhibit. It captures the incredible, often mind-blowing experience
of a complete shift in perspective, at times even inducing
uncertainty as to what is real and what is being constructed or
altered by the mind.

“Ecstasy” surveys two separate arenas of
perceptional experimentation. One group of artists uses drugs in
their works, either literally or through representation, to convey
altered states they have undergone themselves.

Fred Tomaselli takes this approach in his four works on display
at “Ecstasy.” All are paintings depicting a single
scene, but arranged in a mosaic style composed of actual pills,
leaves, photo collages and acrylic paint. Tomaselli then manages to
suspend some of the components in resin, creating a
three-dimensional effect akin to a Magic Eye book’s optical
illusions.

Other artists take a different approach by simulating an altered
experience for the viewer.

Carsten Holler’s “Upside-Down Mushroom Room”
is essentially a materialized hallucination that prompts viewers to
experience their own unique hallucinations. Holler suspends giant
mushrooms as if growing upside-down from the ceiling of a white
spotlight-filled room. Each mushroom then rotates at a different
speed, adding to the room’s disorienting quality.

The artists manage to create entirely original works,
demonstrating their unique perspectives. “Ecstasy”
never once feels contrived ““ an incredible feat MOCA has
unequivocally accomplished.

Besides the art itself, perhaps the most gratifying aspect of
“Ecstasy” is observing other viewers’ reaction to
the works. Visitors alternately reveal expressions of bewilderment,
delight and awe, but most importantly, they interact with the art
on a personal level. That fact alone proves that MOCA has succeeded
at the highest possible level with its display of
“Ecstasy.”

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