Steve Koller: Studio Writing #2
Beauvais Lyons
by Stephen Koller
Bones and lungs are easily recognizable as parts of an organic, living animal. We know that they are real because of centuries of scientific and medical work confirming their existence, form, and function. In today's informaiton age, society now expects science to almost always produce truth. Beauvais Lyons is an artist who currently plays upon this fact in his works. He actually creates pieces of false anthropological evidence to present to the public as true remnants of an undiscovered civilization. This collection is known as the Hokes Archive. In doing this, Beauvais has enormous flexibility with what he can do; he's not pigeon-holed into what art "should be". Quite the opposite: he breaks the rules and boundaries of a typical gallery collection through the usage of parody.
Beauvais' projects have involved many forms of media: from printmaking to ceramics to non-traditional multimedia using materials like Styrofoam. This variety of materials serves to emphasize the impression that the archive is in fact real. If there were a series of photographs of a sasquatch, most of us would merely scoff and pay no attention. Yet when we see a collection of broken pottery, inscribed tablets, and other supposed relics it is difficult to regard it as fake. On top of this is an added layer of fictional storyline, like how one tablet out of a set of four was destroyed in an archaic form of book-burning. These stories engage our emotional side to reinforce the cold scientific "facts".
Pardon the pun, but this faux-archaological exhibit is ground-breaking for the art world. Although installations and street art attempt to reach outside of the gallery experience, the Hokes archive supersedes even these subgenres by breaking out of the art world entirely. Where it is left is directly tied in with culture, to the point where one university even allowed Mr. Lyons to set up the exhibit alongside other archaological finds. This use of parody and fiction as art is an incredible step forward for contemporary art.
By the way, did anyone else catch the fact that the 'Hokes' Archive is really the Hoax Archive? I really dig this use of a double-meaning.
Link to this Page
- Studio Writing: BEAUVAIS LYONS last edited on 20 February 2008 at 3:10 pm by adsl-75-40-242-3.dsl.klmzmi.sbcglobal.net