Adam Parker Smith’s art installation “Thriller” will be on display in the Tarble Arts Center throughout the January until Feb. 20.

Smith visited Eastern in December of 2010 to speak about his artwork.

In the background of the dimly lit Tarble Arts Center the Jaws theme song played in the background as participants attended an artist lecture by Smith on Dec. 2, 2010. The Jaws theme song emanated from an adjacent room where Smith’s “Thriller” exhibit was set up for students to view.

Smith began the lecture with photos of his work, spanning seven years, starting with projects he worked on in graduate school.

Smith, who used multiple forms of media, displayed several images of nylon dolls.

Smith said he wanted his dolls to be different so he gave them eyebrows and genitalia. The dolls used in Smith’s exhibits were modeled after people he knew or people he wanted to know.

When displaying a photo of an exhibit Smith showed an unclothed doll standing in front of several paintings. He shared that the doll was of a woman who worked at a grocery store down the street from where he lived.

Another piece Smith created with the dolls landed him in jail while he was in Italy. Smith snuck his dolls into the Vatican to take photos of them, but Smith was arrested and the dolls confiscated.

“The dolls remained in the Vatican’s collection as evidence,” Smith said jokingly.

He also displayed 2D pieces of artwork including a collage, “Salami,” made up of magazine clippings of genitalia, eyes and lips.

“I got a bunch of adult magazines and I cut out all of the red and the pink bits,” Smith said.

Lei Curtis, a graduate art student, thought “Salami,” was interesting because of the way Smith took pornographic images and turned them into a piece of meat.

“The ‘Salami’ piece was really interesting and kind of that poking fun at the idea of meat and people as meat or objects,” Smith said. “You hear that referred to a lot in contemporary society and I thought that was kind of an interesting way to take the pornographic images and create actually a piece of meat.”

Kate Grunst, a freshman special education major, liked pieces like Smith’s hand built player piano.

“I like how he thinks about everything big and then breaks it down small,” Grunst said.

The piano, built by Smith, was burnt piece by piece before it was assembled. Smith showed a video of the charred piano playing a piece written by Smith’s brother.

This piece interested Kristy Hughes, a graduate art major, as well.

“I’m so impressed with his ability just to make things and make them workable,” Hughes said.

Maggie Crowley, a graduate art major, said she liked how Smith’s work was both internal and external, like Smith’s playing piano.

“I liked how there was a strong depth of creation surface wise, like 2D, but building the motor and the piano and building the piano to actually function,” Crowley said.

Smith’s exhibit, “Thriller” has been at the Tarble Arts Center since Dec. 4 and can be viewed until Feb. 20.

Sam Bohne can be reached at 581-2812

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