In the year 2000...
ceiling tile, pencils, video camera, chair, tv,
text, microcontroller, light
14' x 19' x 20' (2006)

-----In the installation titled In the year 2000… the viewer enters a room with white walls and a partial drop ceiling constructed out of acoustic tiles. Stuck in the ceiling tiles are hundreds of used pencils. There is also a vent in the ceiling that conceals a video camera. On the floor, there is an old yellow chair and a TV on a small dresser. The installation is arranged to replicate the look of a living room intended for one person. I wanted to create a scene that would entice viewers to sit down and watch TV.
-----When the viewer enters the room they are stepping into an artificial environment. As they sit in the chair the work begins to come to life. After sitting down for a few seconds, the light over them starts to dim and as they look at the TV, they begin to realize that it is surveillance video of them in the current situation. As they look at themselves, they begin to see a random strings of text appear over their image on the TV. The text that streams over their image is composed of words that pertain to my thought process. The installation is a self-portrait of a period in my life; it also represents a make-believe environment in my head. The concepts for this work were shaped by my time and experience at Cal State Fullerton.
-----Essentially, the pencils represent ideas that popped into my head throughout a period of time. People regularly use pencils to document ideas, so it seemed interesting to juxtapose pencils with ideas. By shoving large amounts of pencils in the ceiling tile, I intended to illustrate the feeling I get when many thoughts overwhelm me. Because the ceiling was intentionally lower than normal and because the pencils were directly in the viewers’ space, I think this emotion was conveyed well.
-----The ceiling tile represents being in the realm of an institution. It seems that every time I am in a school or office, I am surrounded by acoustic tile ceilings. Throughout my education, I have felt a struggle between the power of an academic system and the ability to be creative. Oftentimes, I feel like these are opposing forces. This notion also lends irony to the conceptual aspect of the work.
-----The installation gives viewers a chance to step inside my head for a moment. When they sit in the chair and activate the work the thought process text that appears over their image symbolizes an attempt to see themselves from my perspective. Skewing perception is an important aspect I frequently exploit in my work.