MCLA Blog

Jitter, Wander, Drift: The Poetics of the Everyday

What do we find when we follow an overgrown path or imagine a line extended into infinity? At the heart of this exhibition are artists whose work allows us to meander: to stroll, to explore, to wander—to infuse quotidian objects or experiences with playfulness and experimentation. Many of these artists use line as a defining mechanism for these investigations into the everyday: line as an outline, border, or surround; line as an extension of space; aggregate line as mass; lines that move over time, creating past, present and future; lines of speech, lines of song; and line as a emotion, an attitude, an energy. We can describe our daily lives in line, both predetermined and random: where we went, what we did, what we thought and what happened next—some of it so commonplace we hardly realize its subtle, joyous intricacies. Through drawings, video, sculpture, and text, the work in “Jitter, Wander, Drift” provides a much-needed interruption to daily action—just momentarily—so we can take the time to reconsider our place in the world and ourselves in relation to our surroundings. Invited artists include Anu Tuominen (Helsinki, Finland), Kathy Desmond (Cambridge, MA), and Brian DeRosia (Portland, ME), among others.