Tattoo Tarts Meet Monster Men
For a brief season the Xavier University Art Gallery hosted a sculptural installation of "Tattoo Tarts Meet Monster Men" by Janet LuRu. The sculptures draw on the rich history of the freak show to comment on modern social stereotypes. The interactive and kinetic pieces are made predominantly of clay but also explore a wide range of other materials. The exhibit ran from September 5 through 26, 1997.
The sculptures are an amalgamation of visual and literary input. Much of my research for this project focused on the mid-nineteenth century freak show phenomenon. It was the template for American media. It also appears to be the forging element in our schema for stereotype, racism, and conformity. I have always been interested in the duality of attraction and repulsion, the sideshow fits nicely within that context. Although much of this work centers around this specific research, many other sources inspire the work such as travel, family identity, and science fiction.