In a world where visual culture is in a state of constant flux, Sara Cwynar's exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto offers a unique and thought-provoking perspective. Her work, titled 'Baby Blue Benzo Beta,' delves into the complexities of our modern visual landscape, challenging us to question the very foundations of our reality.
Deconstructing Visual Culture
Cwynar's approach is an intriguing one. By creating an 'Alpha/Alphabet' of contemporary visual culture, she presents a unique take on the traditional ABCs. Each letter represents a keyword, drawn from internet trends and her personal search history, offering a glimpse into the mind of the artist and the collective consciousness of our online era.
For instance, the letter 'A' stands for 'apple,' not the fruit but the tech giant, reflecting the dominance of technology in our lives. 'B' is for 'bank,' a reminder of the financial systems that underpin our society, and 'C' represents 'climate,' a nod to the environmental challenges we face.
The Power of Images
What makes Cwynar's work particularly fascinating is her exploration of the power and authority of images. Under each letter, she accumulates a diverse range of visual elements—studio photographs, video clips, archival material, and found objects—to showcase the multiplicity of meanings and interpretations that can be derived from a single image.
Take the letter 'Y' for 'youth,' for example. Cwynar presents an array of expressionless young models, a critique of the fashion industry's portrayal of youth and a commentary on the objectification of the human form. On the other hand, 'Z' for 'zoo' collects snapshots of brawling politicians, a chaotic representation of the state of politics and a reflection of the circus-like nature of modern governance.
A Maze of Visuals
The installation itself is a maze, with tall panels forming walls that guide visitors through a labyrinth of images. This design choice is intentional, as it emphasizes the enveloping nature of photography and its impact on our reality. As we navigate the exhibition, we are surrounded by images, from the massive billboards covering the walls to the intricate mosaics assembled by the museum's installers.
Curator Rui Mateus Amaral compares this process to the assembly lines of the past, suggesting that photographs, like any other product, are constructed and assembled by human hands. Cwynar's work, in a way, takes us behind the scenes of this image factory, revealing the intricate processes and the provisional nature of the final product.
The Narcotized Dream Sequence
The exhibition's namesake, 'Baby Blue Benzo,' is a landmark video by Cwynar. It is a dreamlike sequence that blends fantasy and essay, featuring a bizarre cast of characters and a narrative that explores the intersection of wealth, desire, and the role of images in shaping our values.
The video centers around the most expensive car ever sold, a 1955 Mercedes-Benz, and contrasts it with benzodiazepines, a class of drugs used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders. The narrator's voiceover describes the drug's effects, creating a parallel between the palliative nature of consumer culture and the temporary relief offered by these central nervous system depressants.
A Hypertextual Experience
Cwynar's work is a hypertextual journey, mirroring the disorienting nature of our online existence. The exhibition pulls from a myriad of sources—theory, novels, commercials, and encyclopedias—creating a viewing experience that replicates the feeling of living in a world where the IRL (in real life) and URL (uniform resource locator) are intertwined.
As Cwynar herself puts it, 'Social media makes it feel like all these things are almost attainable.' The abundance of images at our fingertips creates a false sense of proximity to the objects of our desire, be it fame or material wealth. Yet, as she acknowledges, 'These things are further away than they've ever been.'
Conclusion
Sara Cwynar's exhibition is a powerful commentary on the state of visual culture in the 21st century. By deconstructing the building blocks of our language and exploring the authority of images, she challenges us to question the foundations of our reality. Her work is a reminder that, in an era of infinite scrolling, we must remain critical consumers of the visual information that surrounds us.
