H U N T I N G & G A T H E R I N G
Confiscated
Culture
S T O R Y B Y
M ija R ie d e l
'E a c h p ie c e s t a r t s w i t h a n id e a . T h e m a t e r i-
a ls c o m e a f t e r w a r d ,” s a y s M i c h e le P r e d ,
“ a s I d i s c o v e r t h e m .” T h e c o n c e p t u a l a r t is t
d e v e lo p s h e r id e a s b y h u n t in g f o r m a t e r ia ls
t h a t e m b o d y h e r t h o u g h t s . M o r e o f t e n th a n
n o t , t h e o b je c t s t h a t P r e d a s s e m b le s in t o
w a l l in s t a lla t io n s o r f r e e s t a n d in g s c u lp t u r e s
a r e s h a r p , p r o v o c a t iv e a n d m e t a p h o r ic a lly
lo a d e d —s c is s o r s , p o c k e t k n i v e s , d is c a r d e d
c e llp h o n e c h a r g e r s . D i v e r s e e le m e n t s
a d v a n c e h e r r a n g e o f id e a s , w h i c h c e n t e r s
o n c u lt u r a l i d e n t i t y , e x c e s s i v e c o n s u m e r -
is m a n d t h e c o n n e c t i o n s b e t w e e n c r a f t
a n d t e c h n o lo g y .
P r e d ’ s h u n t f o r v i s u a l l y c o m p e lli n g ,
s y m b o lic a l ly r ic h m a t e r ia ls h a s le d h e r to
p la c e s s h e n e v e r in t e n d e d t o fr e q u e n t : N e w
Y o r k C i t y s u b w a y t u n n e ls , e B a y , a ir p o r t
s e c u r it y o f f ic e s . M o r e t h a n o n c e , P r e d h a s
c lim b e d in t o d u m p s t e r s a t S a n F r a n c i s c o
I n t e r n a t io n a l, s h o v e l i n h a n d , t o s e a r c h
t h r o u g h t o n s o f s c is s o r s a n d c o r k s c r e w s
f o r p a r t ic u la r ly sm a ll p o c k e t k n iv e s o r p in k
s e w in g s c is s o r s . S u c h e x c a v a t io n s r e s u lt e d
in
Fear Culture,
a 6 6 - b y - U o in c h A m e r ic a n
fla g c o n s t r u c t e d f r o m c o n f is c a t e d r a z o r
b la d e s , s c r e w d r i v e r s , s c is s o r s , l i g h t e r s ,
m a t c h e s a n d b o t t le o p e n e r s . T h e p i e c e is
p a r t o f P r e d ’s C o n f is c a t e d s e r ie s , s t a r t e d
in 2 0 0 2 a s a r e s p o n s e t o 9 / 1 1 a n d h o m e la n d
s e c u r it y r e g u la t io n s . E a c h s m a ll, s e e m in g ly
in s ig n if ic a n t it e m —n a il c li p p e r s , t w e e z e r s —
e m b o d ie s “ t h e c u lt u r a l r e s id u e o f a p a r -
t i c u la r m o m e n t in h i s t o r y , ” P r e d e x p la i n s ,
a n d “ t h e w e ig h t o f a c h a n g e d w o r ld .” C o l -
l e c t i v e l y , t h e 20 8 c o n f is c a t e d o b je c t s f u n c -
t io n a s s o c ia l a n d p o l it ic a l c o m m e n t a r y ;
in d iv id u a ll y , e a c h e v o k e s a m o r e p e r s o n a l
e x p e r i e n c e . P r e d is o l a t e d a n d m o u n t e d
e a c h a r t ic le in a p e t r i d is h , a n o b je c t im b u e d
w i t h m u ltip le la y e r s o f m e a n in g in it s o w n
r ig h t , s y n o n y m o u s w i t h s c ie n t if ic e x p e r i -
m e n t s a n d l i v i n g , o c c a s i o n a l l y a n o m a lo u s
c u lt u r e s —in t h is c a s e , a c u lt u r e o f f e a r .
T h e in flu e n c e o f P o p a r t —in p a r t ic u la r
t h e w o r k o f R o b e r t R a u s c h e n b e r g a n d
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Left:
Fear Culture,
2007,
Confiscated series,
airport confiscated
items, metal, plastic,
resin, petri dishes,
66
x 80 in.
Opposite top:
Blue,
2005, Confiscated
series, airport confis-
cated lighters, 16 x 18 in.
Opposite bottom:
Nesting,
2004, car
cellphone chargers,
24x36 in.
Collection o f the Contempo-
rary Museum, Hawaii.
058 american craft apr/mayio
