MARKET
Katarzyna Balug
Christopher Reynolds

June 13–30, 2009
Opening Reception: Sat., June 13, 7–10pm

Phantom Galleries LA
309 Pine Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90802

Market examines the experience that occurs prior to food consumption. The decision about what to eat is influenced by marketing and package design in gourmet and budget stores alike. Balug and Reynolds observed that these design patterns tend to direct our attention away from what is actually inside the box. In response, they developed an installation that reflects patterns found in both consumer markets. Located in downtown Long Beach, this storefront plays the role of both a gallery exhibition and an everyday shopping environment. The interactive installation includes posters of photographed products, hand-drawn prints, paintings, and a book series, which all narrate this experience of consumption.

Market is inspired partly by Alan Watts' essay "Murder in the Kitchen," which describes the contemporary tendency to so ritualistically anticipate the future that the present passes by unnoticed. Balug and Reynolds react with a reference to our contemporary relationship with food, examining the proposition that the anticipation of the meal is better than the meal itself.