Nostalgia Purgatory

2018

Nostalgia Purgatory

Most of my independent work deals with human storytelling tropes from folklore and mythology that appear in global cultures. The name “Nostalgia Purgatory” comes from the title of my graduation degree project at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD Sculpture ‘18) and exhibited at our final class cohort gallery showing, “Something Worth Stealing”. My piece was about themes of death, and asked the audience the question, “how would you feel if this moment was the end of your life?”, followed by prompting the participant, “now as you leave Nostalgia Purgatory, you are given a second chance to live”.

The audience experience follows a linear themed floorplan. The first section they experience is titled “your funeral”, a room with funeral parlor folding chairs set up, with a central aisle leading to a pinebox coffin standing upright. This standing coffin is a doorway, the “threshold of death”, which the participant opens, enters, and closes on themselves. This leads them to a hallway made of woven wood reed, which I sculpted to give the impression of a transition to the underground. The wood reed becomes a short hallway of doors. Each door has a peephole or a keyhole to peer through, and a miniature diorama of the room behind the door. Each of the dioramas is based on an archetype found within classic tarot cards.

At the end of this short hallway, the final room of the experience reveals itself: “Nostalgia Purgatory”. This liminal space is the caretaker of things that still exist but are forgotten or antiquated in the minds of the living. In this room, a large wooden glass display cabinet showcases a collection of uranium glassware, a vanity with a half silvered mirror is covered in cigarette cards from the 19th century featuring shadowgraph hand-puppets. To the left, Cab Calloway’s “St. James’ Infirmary Blues” is emanating from an Edison Home Phonograph. The last feature of this room is the reader of cards. In the 2018 showing of this piece, Jen Valentino played the part of the ethereal medium of this space. Keeping the death card up her sleeve, she gave each participant a unique reading, talked with them about their lives, the memories and regrets each one may have should this be their untimely end. At the end of this moment, the reader gives them another chance to enter the realm of the living, and the blue velvet curtains to return to the gallery are drawn.

Presented on Social Media as…

Caption: Nostalgia Purgatory, 2018. An #immersivetheater and #setdesign project, with Jen Valentino playing the ethereal fortune reader who sits beyond the #thresholdofdeath . Photo documentation by Dana Tarr @danatarrphotography Finally, images of my thesis project exhibited in Spring among my graduating peers from the #RISD #sculpture department. #mementomori #tarot #archetype #storytelling #risdsculpture #somethingworthstealing #uraniumglass #cardreading #phonograph #gramophone #vintage #purgatory #nostalgia #environmentdesign View original post

Caption: I am a painter and a sculptor. I work in #setdesign and #immersivetheater. I took the advice of the late #RandyPausch –achieving my childhood dreams. I always wanted to be an #imagineer , whether or not I worked for the Mouse. Now I’m starting an installation art bar and lounge, I make themed AirB&Bs, immersive theater, #installationart , and am working on an #augmentedreality mobile game. For 23 years, 10 years since having that dream, I’m well on my way. I’m happy to be making in 2019. #wynnthorn #risd #graduate #disney #castmember #providence #bones #jadeite #jadenandrea #comcaac #seripeople View original post

Caption: THANK YOU! To my awesome friends, my great help, I don’t know where I’d be without you. Especially to my reader and ethereal hostess of nostalgia purgatory Jen Valentino, and the “backstage” help from @dudeitsdemetri and @chanceboas who stayed up with me until the dead of night building things, and @fred_manke10 and Karen who drove down to help me put together walls and pull the strings together on this installation, and of course my housemate @yoyo_dubois who was down to help me screw together walls and move furniture around throughout this whole process. And @theviennagram for donating their coffin to the cause– THANK YOU! ⚰ I couldn’t, I couldn’t possibly, complete this kind of immersive set without the help and support of these awesome people and the encouragement of friends. I’m bubbling over with gratitude and happiness. I’m graduating. It’s been a ride! View original post

Caption: On the outside looking in… #thresholdofdeath #nostalgiapurgatory #yourfuneral #immersivetheater #immersivetheatre #tarot #coffin #uraniumglass #setdesign #interactiveart #installationart View original post

Caption: Something Worth Stealing” TONIGHT! The RISD Sculpture Senior Exhibition at 130 Point Street, Providence RI. 7:30 - 9:30 PM Live band performance by .2 in the loading dock, as well as my thesis exhibition and #immersivetheater project, with readings by Jen Valentino. Find many pathways before you, and a gifted fortuna who will advise you in your journey. Come one, come all! Discover #yourfuneral , Cross the #thresholdofdeath , and find yourself in #nostalgiapurgatory … View original post

Caption: #fridaythethirteenth #thresholdofdeath #nostalgiapurgatory #installationart #workinprogress #wip #impermanence #luck #chance #fate #fortuna View original post

Caption: My babies. 🕸🍀 #phonograph #victrola #gramophone #edison #morningglory #cygnet #antique #setdesign #vintage #degreeproject #immersivetheater #immersivetheatre #installationart View original post

Caption: #uraniumglass #vaselineglass #depressionera #depressionglass #vintage #immersivetheater #immersivetheatre #installationart #degreeproject #risdsculpture #risd #curiocabinet #blacklight #thresholdofdeath #nostalgiapurgatory View original post

Caption: #RISD #sculpture #risdsculpture #triennale #curio #curiocabinet #setdesign #themedenvironment #curiosities #rarities #oddities View original post

Caption: My contribution to the RISD Sculpture Triennial show 2018. Collaboration with two other sculpture students, Amber and Emily. #RISD #risdsculpture #sculpture #triennale #curio #curiocabinet #oddities #rarities #curiosities #environmentdesign View original post

Caption: The lovely @hauntingghostaesthetic Friday the 13th View original post

Caption: Nostalgia Purgatory”, Chapter 1… Here’s what I’ve been up to: My #installation, critiqued today at RISD. Interactive in that I played a character, wound up the #phonograph to play a #liberace 78, and there were glass photo slides of memories to gaze at through a viewfinder. Many hidden objects to find! Version one of many to come. #sculpture #risdsculpture #immersivetheatre #nostalgia #purgatory #happyfridaythe13th View original post

Caption: In progress… View original post