William Plummer (Kansas City, MO) | Exchange (Kansas City) | August 2021Tapping into the unseen historical and spectral forces at Elsewhere, this altered cabinet functions as a permeable screen by drawing attention to effects of light and air within the Ghost Room. Through this atmospheric exchange, the sculpture commands a theatrical presence while drawing attention to its contents; stockings, beads, and pearls that drift and sway without the help of a body. "Perennial Channels" acknowledges the items we own that are meant to feel special or inspire wonder. From playful accessories to glass marbles, these things point at a commonality--the ways objects can undeniably reveal and reflect something about the people that have interacted with them.

Craig Deppen Auge (Kansas City, MO) | Exchange (Kansas City) | August 2021

This work, which spans across the top of the front and back stairwells to the second floor, is an exploration of form, pattern and scale, as well as a contemplative remark. Images of these chairs were cut from a collection of 60 Italian furniture catalogs which were sourced from the Records Room Archive. They exist as remnants form the Carolina Sales Company, one of the latter day businesses here, predating the museum. The crosscut pattern itself acts as an invocation, perhaps inviting roaming spirits a place to rest, similar to the “haint blue” as a There is also a reminder here to take time and just be still with yourself amongst the dazzling cacophony of the collection, though ultimately that rest and meditation is illusive. The work also reminds us to stay aware of the many multiples found within the collection, and that, in fact, multiples of an object or image are the very definition of a collection.