“New Mythologists” Art Exhibit Review

By Jenny Bront
SC Staff Writer

The “New Mythologists: The Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse (and another),” an installation by David Mazure and the MMXII Collective, located in the Madelon Powers Gallery, is a great commentary on today’s society and the shift from what was important to us before to what we value now.

The exhibit, lasting from October 6 to November 7, uses a myth we are all familiar with to tell a new story that everyone needs to hear.

According to the description provided at the exhibition, “What was once controlled by organized religion has been usurped by The Corporation.

No longer is the end game salvation. Now it is consumption and personal profit.”

These two statements perfectly capture the message that the artist is trying to convey.

We are so absorbed in consumerism that we cannot see what is right in front of us.

Throughout the exhibit there is a prevalent pattern, which is fascinating.

When you view the image up right, you see a big destructive machine that represents corporations. When you view it upside down, you see the victims of corporations.

This dichotomy is the epitome of the first image, and it is a wonderful representation of war between society and corporations.

The next representation is of famine. The exhibit features the recurring pattern, this time with a big hole in the middle. Upon further inspection, a barely visible “titan” is seen.

This represents how industries hide vital information to sell their products, and the piece makes a great point.

It is very difficult to know what is true and what isn’t with the plethora of information that is out there: whether it is fact or fiction.

The third piece looks like a modern Picasso work. It features the same pattern all mixed up until it is unrecognizable.

This idea is spot on — so many big industries use psychology to capture consumers in the industry’s thrall without them even noticing.

This is similar to the catchy jingles that get stuck in people’s heads. We are all being conditioned without knowing.

The last exhibit is the most interesting because it ties all of the pieces together. It includes several black squares covering the now well-known image.

The message is that because we expect to see the image again, we look for it without looking at the actual art.

This reminds me of how people strive to look for the more expensive brand name because they know about it, but ignore the perfectly acceptable generic brands.

These are the four horsemen of corporation told through the eyes of David Mazure and the MMXII Collective. Each person who views this exhibit gets something different out of it.

Kendrick Diaz, an ESU student and art fan, said, “It was incredibly thought-provoking. I thought it was an excellent commentary on how the corporate media uses sex to control the populous.”

It was a spectacular exhibit and I hope it will be back soon.

Email Jenny at:
jbront@live.esu.edu