an interpertation of gathering paradise- art essay

 The American Dream is “associated with upward mobility and enough economic success to lead a comfortable life” (Churchill, Issue 21). I consider it to be an overhyped concept and an ill-fitting idea of what truly defines American success. Often critiqued to be individualistic, when the American ideal should be robust liberty and belonging in the land of the free. Modern capitalism is interwoven generously in the American Dream. While freedom and prosperity are constitutional rights guaranteed to all, they are used to accommodate excessive consumerism and greed. Collectively, we’ve achieved the American Dream over and over since our conception. From war after another, we’ve gathered more land up north, the Midwest, and shortly after, every inch of the continent, reacting combatively at any attempt by Native Americans to have their land returned. By the mid-18th century, we struck gold in North Carolina, and by the mid-19th century, we traded agricultural goods through the Transcontinental Railroad. 

The American Dream is a strong element explored in Skoglund’s 1991 piece “Gathering Paradise”. When I hear Paradise alone, I think of a 50s idealistic postcard of Hula dancers on the Hawaiian seashores. Gorgeous, Exotic, and Exploited. A “home away from home”  but only when it is convenient for the American tourist. Pretending we have a harmonious relationship with Hawaiians, which is quite the opposite, as it was engineered by cash-hungry early 19th-century stockbrokers.

Sandy Skoglund is an American Photographer and Artist, born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, on September 11th, 1946. She graduated from the University of Iowa with an M.A. for multiple studies under her belt, including studio art, art history from Smith College, and later filmmaking, intaglio painting, and multimedia art by 1972. She moved to New York City, near the decline of the Hippie era and the developing foundation of the Disco scene. There, she experimented with repetitive, process-oriented art production through the techniques of mark-making and photocopying, or in simple terms, the art of manipulating photos by using a photocopy machine before the digital revolution. 

According to her Website, her earliest published works are from 1974, a series of photos of the front of small but quirky and vibrant houses, usually with only one door and window. By 1980, Skoglund had made what would turn into a signature style of blending sculpture, painting, and surreal photography featuring lots of animals for usually comedic purposes. “Radioactive Cats” was a series of photos undermining the expectations of the cute, domesticated pet getting in the way of an apocalyptic setting. The Series captures an elderly couple in a grey kitchen, with neon green felines almost invading the couple's lives. Skoglund used her neighbors as models for this project. The cats knock over furniture, play with tools, and cooking utensils, acting as gleamingly out-of-place inconveniences, making the series complicated by mystified and amused reactions. The cats are made of clay, chicken wire, and plaster. They were hand-painted and staged by Skoglund exclusively. Gathering Paradise follows the Skoglund formula with lots of single-colored animals. The first element that calls to the viewer is the only 3 colors used, Coral pink on the exterior back view of the backyard of a seemingly large suburban house, Cornflower blue interior seen through the open back doors and window, and finally, the charcoal black 42 squirrels and 4 crows. However, the longer you look, the more clever the detail. There are squirrels inside, too, but they are colored Coral pink. The Patio has a table to the right of the back door with a cracked umbrella where a late-aged man is seated. This man has a dismal and melancholic expression and is dressed in Coral to match. Inside, seen through the window, is a middle-aged couple also with disturbed expressions, looking outside in different directions. They are dressed in Cornflower blue, matching the walls and kitchen decorations, contrasting with the complementary Coral pink squirrels, underwear scattered across the floor, and decorative plates on the display cabinet. The Photograph is categorized as Cibachrome because Skoglund employs a dye process of creating positive prints directly from color transparencies or slides. The entire setting communicates the unwanted presence of the squirrels and crows. Crawling around the landscaping in the backyard, one squirrel is even lying on the classic barbecue grill. Perhaps they are the unpleasant but natural consequences of a greedy, hyper-idealistic society. 

When asked If Skoglund believes Art is reflection of our times in an interview for the Domus Contemporary Art magazine she claimed-“I don’t know if art is a reflection of our times. But I know what my work is, it is to be the mirror, to be passive, to receive, participate as much as possible without judging.” (Skoglund, 2020) I noticed through my research, Skoglund mentions Mirrors often as an inspiration for her art. Art reflects life, and this she certainly believes and applies to “Gathering Paradise.” This mirrors us very ironically and very accurately, but with maybe fewer squirrels. 

Personally, ‘Gathering Paradise” struck a nostalgic chord in me upon first seeing it at the McNay. I had family friends with a similar view of the back of their “cookie cutter” home in a gated community, here in the San Antonio suburbs. Growing up in a home built in 1925, these homes always seemed Cold; the only character depends on the people living in them. Perhaps the couple inside are matching the blue interior, and have allowed the traditional, Conservative American values to envelop them. The Older man sat outside, however, accepting the animals' presence, but is still opposed by his Color, one with the backyard patio, and the broken umbrella, but he still looks away. Skoglund touches on Nature interrupting the Civilized in “Radioactive Cats” (1980), too. We’ve built this Civilized world to prove to each other we’ve “succeeded”. We’ve gotten the highest paying jobs, often always serving Capitalism, our degrees qualified us for, sometimes unfairly. We’ve gotten married, not necessarily out of love first, but to satisfy a familial expectation. We’ve had kids, just to raise them to repeat this cycle, whether they like it or not. This feels uniquely familiar to me. Uniquely American. 

Sources Cited

• Skoglund, S. (2021). Sandy Skoglund Artist Resume. Sandy Skoglund Art Site. https://doi.org/04/15/25

• Churchill, S., Dr (2021). A Brief History of the American Dream. George W Bush Institute, (21). https://doi.org/04/15/25

• Esposito, F. (2019). "My Work is a Mirror". Domus Art Magazine. https://doi.org/04/19/25

• Thompson, L. (2021). Virtual Conversation with Artist Sandy Skoglund: Outtakes from Icons. The McNay. https://doi.org/4/19/25