Bridge to Somewhere
Marianne Vitale’s solo exhibition at Zach Feuer Gallery is called, What I Need to Do is Lighten the Fuck Up About a Lot of Shit. Not sure how this title relates to the sculptures here. I also wonder it seems naïve for many people living today; though it might work for her, and who am I to judge?
Marianne Vitale, "Burned Bridge," 2012
The primary work, Burned Bridge, is a charred foot bridge that she actually built and actually burned. Though sturdy, it seems impractically narrow for vehicles and short for people on foot. Behind that is Hammered, a wall (on a wall) of aligned planks battered by hammers, nails, and weather. In the rear gallery is Outhouse, which Vitale attacked with a shotgun. Each work is built by hand and then damaged by hand.
In this show, Vitale’s distressed sculptures embody instruments of exchange – or lack thereof – between rural communities and the technological cities that forget them. We may characterize this relation with a dystopic outlook: the damaged and decayed objects bespeak the crisis and malaise of a dysfunctional society. Through this channel of pessimism, the bridge suggests flight (refuge from the city) or invasion (pillage by the city). The wall mimics barricades, encampments, and provisional security – and maybe even paranoid militias. The outhouse invokes infrastructural alienation while opening up the vulnerable connections between people, their food, the environment, and even the globe-spanning weather.
Marianne Vitale, "Outhouse," 2012
If the nation’s economy is perilous, it looks worse for rural communities. Hydraulic fracturing will disproportionately
subject them to unprecedented water pollution. It might bring jobs to these communities, though sustainable jobs will require more and more fracking wells – thereby increasing the risk of pollution. Rural communities have less access to broadband technology than their urban neighbors. This stands in the way of education, employment, and even health care. From the NY Times,
“You often hear people talk about broadband from a business development perspective, but it’s much more significant than that,” Mr. Depew added. “This is about whether rural communities are going to participate in our democratic society. If you don’t have effective broadband, you are cut out of things that are really core to who we are as a country.”
Marianne Vitale, "Hammered," 2012
Finally, America’s taste for coal is in decline. The Economist (Jan 28-Feb 3, “A Burning Issue”), cites regulation as one reason, though in this article, the magazine ignores the environment benefits of reducing air pollution. EPA regulations increase costs of production and increase risk to investors. Who knows how this reduced demand will affect Appalachian coal miners? Maybe they will be retrained to perform fracking jobs. Of course, that means more water pollution and toxic exposure to rural communities.
If this is a bummer, Vitale’s show still makes room for optimism. All of these objects are battered and distressed, but they are still upright. This says something about durability and survival. Maybe that harmonizes with the relief suggested by her show’s title.
Written by Michael Bilsborough
