The Art Gallery at Champlain College proudly presents Four Feet Forward: Objects, Excess & Illusion an exhibition of work by Champlain College Faculty Member, Al Larsen.
Featuring a combination of video and mixed media pieces incorporating puppets and everyday objects, the show explores a contemporary uncanny feeling of switching between multiple realities. Fractured narratives are presented: motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel and characters from Shakespeare’s The Tempest make appearances, as do a pair of giant-sized sock puppets. Guest artist Ian Vanek will collaborate with Larsen to bring the themes of the show to a live performance on Thursday, October 14th.
This show was created as a result of Larsen’s research sabbatical during the academic year 2020-21. Topics included the history of object performance and puppet theater, theories of the uncanny, and readings in magical realism and media theory.
Al Larsen is a multimedia artist, performer and writer whose work engages with ideas of public space, community and the populist uses of media technologies. His work in printmaking, video, interactive systems, sound art and installation art has been presented at Hallwalls (Buffalo), Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Glasgow School of Art and at festivals in the US and Europe. A strong believer in merging art and everyday life, he has given performances in numerous contexts including festivals, sidewalks, rooftops, keggers, shindigs, coffee shops, colleges, theaters, rec rooms, art galleries and basements. He is Associate Professor and director of the Creative Media BFA program at Champlain College.