Student Installation Provides Unique Experience

Most people who have gone to an amusement park have more than likely spent time in a fun house where one wanders around not knowing what to expect next. This is exactly what anyone who visits the installation entitled "Did it First," created by senior Brendan Ravenhill, junior Zachary Moser and Middlebury College junior Ted Walker, can look forward to.

The installation, which began Tuesday and ends Friday, calls for viewers to walk, crawl or stumble through complete darkness while running their hands over a variety of objects set about the room. Carpeted steps, wire fencing, sand and foam are just a few of the items strewn about the installation, which was a Winter Term project.

However, one not only receives the feeling of a fun house while wandering around the installation, but that of a haunted house as well. The darkness, shadows and unexpected objects create a rather creepy mood in the room. While crawling, walking or stumbling through the installation, the items mentioned above make one expect some type of hideous creature to jump out from the darkness at any moment.

The installation calls for leaving one's shoes at the front door before crawling through a tiny space where complete and total darkness awaits on the other side. The bizarre nature of the installation's entrance was enough to deter some potential viewers from entering the room. Those who do decide to check out the installation would be advised to move slowly with their hands in front of their face to avoid ramming into objects. Viewers are also advised not to wear any of their best clothing due to the sand and wire and to keep their sights set on the light seeping from under the exit door while their eyes adjust to the darkness.

The highlight of "Did it First," is the so-called "Green Room." At first glance, the Green Room appears to be a mere green square painted on a wall. However, upon drawing closer, one can see that the green square is merely an optical illusion and is in reality the back wall of an entire room. The trio borrowed the idea from a piece by artist James Turell shown in The Mattress Factory, an alternative art gallery in Pittsburgh.

Ravenhill stated that the goal of "Did it First" was to "transform the space in Fisher Hall into something different than it's ever been in the past." Ravenhill, Moser and Walker definitely achieved this goal with their unique installation.

The trio's installation will conclude Friday with a closing reception at 8 p.m. Drinks will be served.