Ramapo Garden of Desire
Ramapo Garden Of Desire is a site specific installation inspired by the space of the Kresge Gallery, at Ramapo College. Upon visiting the gallery I saw a possibility for a dense jungle like installation of sculptures suspended from the high ceiling. My work is based on the botanical world and its relationship to humans. Much like a scientist, I research and cultivate specific plant forms for their inherent and symbolic qualities, reinterpreting and reinventing them in my studio/laboratory greenhouse.
The installation consists primarily of Monkey Pots , an Amazon jungle plant which was transplanted to other tropical regions of the world through botanical gardens. Monkey Pots belong to a genus of gigantic trees; with a pot-like shape that holds a seed inside. These seeds are so enticing to monkeys, that their heads often get stuck in the pot, thus the term Monkey Pots. I was very inspired by this metaphor and have created my own version of the monkey pot as a symbol for humans who are caught by their own desires. The layers of brightly colored foam of my Monkey Pots, are reminiscent of the mutated forms of science fiction films and laboratory experiments gone astray.
The creation of gardens is an elaborate display of human control over its surroundings. Gardens are also a reflection of paradise, the location for the ultimate desirable state of being. In the Ramapo Garden of Desire, Monkey Pots , Money Trees , Gwa Flowers , and Butterfly Twigs grow and flourish in an allegorical installation of nature’s bounty and the never-ending human desire to acquire and consume.
Professor Fay was born in Shanghai, and received his B.F.A from the Kansas City Art Institute and his M.F.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Recent solo exhibitions include, Montalvo Gallery, Saratoga, CA; Cuchifritos, NYC; and Copia, Napa, CA in addition to prior shows at Whitney Phillip Morris, Exit Art, and the Alternative Museum, NYC. Group exhibitions at the Lodz International Biennial, Poland; Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis; National Academy, NYC, the Zimmerli Art Museum, NJ; Kohler Art Center, Wisconsin and Ethan Cohen Fine Arts, NYC among others. Newly installed public art commissions include the Delancey Street MTA mosaic tile mural, Staten Island Ferry Terminal granite benches, Seattle Courthouse outdoor sculpture, Yauco plaza magic tree sculpture, Puerto Rico, and the Portland Oregon Convention Center.
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