German-born artist Oliver Herring began making videos after a spinal disk in his neck slipped out of place more than 10 years ago. The injury made it painful for him to knit intricate sculptures, such as Castle and Doublerocker, both were on display in Material World. But he could use a camera. Herring has continued making videos since then, focusing increasingly on the people who participate in them. He has invited friends and strangers to improvise scenarios he contrives. The videos in Fuse Box portray the results: people spitting water at each other, in reverse motion; an older woman and a young man dancing together; Herring himself waltzing down a steep hill with a male partner; and a boy “flying” through a Philadelphia neighborhood. They celebrate ingenuity, vulnerability, and serendipity in human interaction.
Fuse Box is supported by DAM Contemporaries. Acquisitions made possible by the Florence R. & Ralph L. Burgess Trust.