E. Dannielle Slaughter

RCAD 2011
[Fine Arts]

[Artist Statement]

"My work is made up of unrestrained realities that attempt to make the incompatible compatible. The way in which I approach my work often comes from dark humor and play. I am interested in the traditional functionality of objects and in altering that function. I combine many traditional mediums in order to explore my concepts in a variety of sensory experiences.

My work is concentrating on violence with a specific focus on Medieval war machines; combining them with contemporary child-like imagery in regards to the bold, solid colors found in ball pits, peanut butter and jelly jars and other iconic childhood references.

For example, I built a 12’x 4.5’x 6.5’ catapult and a 5’ x 5’ ball pit containing 2,000 plastic balls. I then catapulted a hand-selected 10-pound rib eye into a ball-pit. The balls were light weight enough that when the meat hit, they erupted into the air. Then I showed the images captured of the one-time event and displayed those suspended in the air with the sculptural remains in the gallery.

I am making a game that the viewers can’t win, by showing them the possibility of entertainment while I control the extent in which they are able to experience or participate with that entertainment. I am interested in setting up a type of conflicting experience for the viewer: subverting their automatic response."