Adam Parker Smith's "Standing on the Moon"
The sculptor, videographer, and mixed-media artist employs a playful sensibility in much of his work: for example, his casts of mylar balloons, pool floats, and other synthetic objects. However, there is a grounding sense of emotion, weight, and environmental commentary. The sunset paint jobs and plastic monuments will outlive us all.
Smith’s Standing on the Moon sculptures really need to be seen in person to see just how strong of a presence they have. Standing in the gallery alone, you will feel something looming there. These anonymized human forms are reminiscent of a time when bodies were preserved through mummification, but are a response to the recent global loss this planet has suffered in the last couple of years.
In regards to the title, Smith said, “The title of the show is crucial for a full understanding of the show, both conceptually and emotionally… ‘Standing on the Moon’ is a song written by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia… The song starts with the protagonist doing just what the title describes — standing on the moon. They are looking down at earth and detailing all the flaws… This is contrasted against the signer’s own surroundings, which are entirely quiet and peaceful… As the song goes on it seems very much to be an antiwar anthem… It’s not until almost the very end of the song that everything is flipped upside down. The singer admits that while they are standing on the moon, they would ‘rather be with you, somewhere in San Francisco, on a back porch in July,” and so, forsaking all the heavenly tranquility on the moon, to be back on a very flawed earth, just to be with the one they loved. The first time I heard this song, I realized that I always thought of loss as the living mourning the deceased, but never as the deceased missing the living… What a wonderful thing it is to be here with everybody.”
The show, open until August 8th, is the debut of the full collection of Smith’s iconoclastic sarcophagi, and you won’t want to miss seeing the mourning monuments face to face.
