“Bivalves no Booty:” Combining Tech and Humanity
Written by Emma Morris. Photography by Emma Morris.
SCAD alumna Corinna Goutos’ new exhibition at the SCAD Museum of Art (SCADMOA) features several wacky and eye-catching pieces that highlight the intertwined world of humans and technology. The small-but-mighty exhibition titled “Bivalves no Booty” features several works that include a bivalve (a group of sea creatures such as oysters, mussels, clams, etc.) and an element of modern technology, such as broken iPhone pieces, wired earbuds and even a laptop.
Goutos graduated from SCAD in 2013 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jewelry. Now, she uses her degree to not only create jewelry, but also meaningful installations and sculptures. Goutos coined the term “anthrosmithing” to describe her craft of combining things from the natural world and man-made materials. Her work fuses two objects from unrelated worlds and makes them into one solid piece, blurring the line between the two realms.
When I went through this exhibit, the pieces initially ignited a laugh in me because of their blatant absurdity. One of the pieces treated a laptop as a clamshell, with several pearls laid in the middle. With little explanation for the individual works (besides a small blurb about the exhibition as a whole), the viewer is left to interpret each piece as they see it. To me, the laptop-clamshell hybrid existed to create an ironic piece of art that blends two things that would have likely never made contact otherwise. Perhaps this piece is a commentary on the work-life balance, and how these two items were never meant to be together, yet here they are, as a cohesive piece. No one would think to combine a seashell, an item associated with nature and serenity, with a device typically used for work. It’s unnatural and slightly eerie.
Another piece from “Bivalves no Booty” contained two conch shells bound together by a bike lock. Before being obtained, the mollusks lived freely in the water. Now, they are permanently imprisoned in an unnatural environment, locked to each other by a man-made bike lock. Although there was no description for this piece, I found it to be a commentary on the leash that technology holds on society. Humankind used to live at ease without technology, but now it is ingrained in everyday society with no escape. At least, that’s how I perceived it.
Each piece configured by Goutos appears to have its own backstory and message to convey. Perhaps my perception of the individual works is different from the next viewer’s idea. I encourage you to visit on your own time and see what you make of Goutos’ work.
