Haunting Insides: Michael E. Long at Vita Art Center
At the end of July, an exhibition opened at Vita Art Center in Ventura that offered an intimate glimpse into the imaginary of artist Michael E. Long, while quietly hinting at the enigmatic realm of hauntology.
Intricate and theatrical, Long’s miniature boxes are recreations of his dreams and nightmares, both set in the over thirty homes across two continents that the artist lived in during his childhood. Now, many years later, images of familiar but unplaceable interior and exterior spaces frequent Long’s dreamscape, seemingly summoned by the restlessness of quarantine.
Michael E. Long, House on the Hill, H 13 1/2’’ x W 19 1/2’’ x L 5 1/2’’.
The Derridean politico-historical concept of hauntology, the logic of the ghost, now applied to visual art, music and culture, refers not only to the persistence of the past and the inevitability of influence on cultural production, but also, as in Long’s work, the sense of uncertainty, inexpressible fear, timelessness and longing for place.
Through this lens, Long’s work takes the cultural uneasiness of displacement and regulated spatial relations during the pandemic, and brings that ball of anxiety to easily digestible miniature movie sets. Literally, Long puts his fears in a box. And, as the artist notes, once he builds his boxes, his dreams don’t scare him anymore.
Michael E. Long, No Deposit, H 13’’ x W 17’’ x L 4’’.
But, Long was making dreamboxes well before the pandemic, and while the new pieces on exhibition elegantly remark on the anxiety of quarantine, they’re also intimately related to the artist’s unique memory and experience.
For the artist, it was important that the boxes did not include human figures. Long hopes that viewers can put themselves into the scene instead of watching another person play out a narrative. Long’s set designs are created to show abandonment and signs that people have been there, but with just enough clues for the viewer to “to take off with their own narrative.”
Michael E. Long, Launderette, H 13’’ x W 17’’ x L 4’’.
Michael E. Long’s exhibition Insides is on view July 25 to September 19, 2020 at Vita Art Center, 28 W Main Street, Ventura. For viewing times, contact (805) 644-9214.
Cover Image: Michael E. Long, The Archive, H 13 1/2’’ x W 19 1/2’’ x L 5 1/2’’.
