From time to time I will come across art that makes me go 'omg yesss' - Josh Kline's Skittles is that kind of art. As part of Archeo, a 2014 outdoor group exhibition in New York City about technology and the condition of being obsolete, Josh Kline installed an industrial fridge on Manhattan's High Line pedestrian path containing a plethora of smoothies/juices. Organised by colour and arranged very neatly, at first glance the juices look fairly normal, if a bit chunky or murky, and the whole piece could quite easily be overlooked as a rather large, well-lit vending machine. Upon further inspection, however, these juices are anything but normal.
plastic
water bottle
shopping bag
iphone case
cling wrap
k-y jelly (a type of lube)
poland spring (a brand of water. Pretentious)
fake plant
I really like this particular juice; the look of it alludes to the look of all those healthy waters but the ingredients are as fake and transparent as the premise. Also, I think it looks a bit like a mojito.
water bottle
shopping bag
iphone case
cling wrap
k-y jelly (a type of lube)
poland spring (a brand of water. Pretentious)
fake plant
I really like this particular juice; the look of it alludes to the look of all those healthy waters but the ingredients are as fake and transparent as the premise. Also, I think it looks a bit like a mojito.
big data
google glass
underwear
verizon bill
bacteria
omega-3 fish oil
purell (a brand of hand sanitizer)
porn
A gross lifestyle, a gross looking juice. I love how deliberately Kline chose the ingredients, and how each juice is like a physical manifestation of each lifestyle.
google glass
underwear
verizon bill
bacteria
omega-3 fish oil
purell (a brand of hand sanitizer)
porn
A gross lifestyle, a gross looking juice. I love how deliberately Kline chose the ingredients, and how each juice is like a physical manifestation of each lifestyle.
condo
coconut water
hdmi cable
infant formula
tumeric
yoga mat
glass
Another pretty wonderful collection of objects. I don't know why glass in particular, though. Maybe it represents the pain of the monotony of this lifestyle? Or maybe simply because this lifestyle features a lot of glass. Dunno, it's kind of pretty though.
coconut water
hdmi cable
infant formula
tumeric
yoga mat
glass
Another pretty wonderful collection of objects. I don't know why glass in particular, though. Maybe it represents the pain of the monotony of this lifestyle? Or maybe simply because this lifestyle features a lot of glass. Dunno, it's kind of pretty though.
clear
purell
vodka
lemon
proactiv (acne treatment)
dianetics (a set of ideas and practices regarding the metaphysical relationship between the mind and body created by L. Ron Hubbard)
neosporin (a brand of antibiotic ointment)
sugar
purell
vodka
lemon
proactiv (acne treatment)
dianetics (a set of ideas and practices regarding the metaphysical relationship between the mind and body created by L. Ron Hubbard)
neosporin (a brand of antibiotic ointment)
sugar
anarchy
infused vodka
axe body wash
protein powder
red bull
self-tanner
banana
dhea (a steroid)
Not exactly what the ingredients I would expect from an anarchistic lifestyle. I imagine this juice as the almost aggressively masculine partner to plastic.
infused vodka
axe body wash
protein powder
red bull
self-tanner
banana
dhea (a steroid)
Not exactly what the ingredients I would expect from an anarchistic lifestyle. I imagine this juice as the almost aggressively masculine partner to plastic.
nightlife
coke zero
octopus ink
raid (data storage technology?)
cool water (a fragrance for Him)
bath salts
coke zero
octopus ink
raid (data storage technology?)
cool water (a fragrance for Him)
bath salts
Josh Kline makes work that employs the language and strategy of advertising; the packaging of these juices clearly alludes to the packaging of mainstream health juices. Many juice brands adopt this format of clear plastic bottles (sometimes glass if they're feeling real fancy) printed with a simple, left-aligned, lowercase font listing the most "essential" ingredients. The piece could be seen as a piss take of that infuriating juice cleanse craze that cropped up a few years ago or a comment on the way we construct our identities out of the superficial and materialistic.
nightlife: coke zero, octopus ink, raid, cool water, bath salts
designer: toothpaste, vitamin water, listerine, toner, magazine, sneaker
bottle service: wall street journal, windex, champagne, foreign currency, vodka, salmon roe, sea salt
williamsburg: credit card, american apparel, kale chips, kombucha, microbrew, quinoa, agave
sick day: dayquil, red bull, ritalin, claritin, aspirin, advil, aleve
minimum wage: mr. clean, money order, medical scrubs, french fries, toilet paper, phone card, latex gloves, pennies
mixed greens: baby spinach, baby kale, lacinato kale, nyquil, tennis ball, wheatgrass, spirulina, olive oil, dollars
big data: google glass, underwear, verizon bill, bacteria, omega-3 fish oil, purell, porn
crowd control: video camera, microphone, pig’s blood, pepper spray, duct tape, dirt
condo: coconut water, hdmi cable, infant formula, turmeric, yoga mat, glass
clear: purell, vodka, lemon, proactive, dianetics, neosporin, sugar
tourism: starbucks coffee, cheap sunglasses, metrocard, hotel soap, cupcake, cheesecake, cronut
supplements: protein bar, blueberries, tooth whitening, rogaine, viagra
plastic: water bottle, shopping bag, iphone case, cling wrap, k-y jelly, poland spring, fake plant
anarchy: infused vodka, axe body wash, protein powder, red bull, self-tanner, banana, dhea
Great stuff.
nightlife: coke zero, octopus ink, raid, cool water, bath salts
designer: toothpaste, vitamin water, listerine, toner, magazine, sneaker
bottle service: wall street journal, windex, champagne, foreign currency, vodka, salmon roe, sea salt
williamsburg: credit card, american apparel, kale chips, kombucha, microbrew, quinoa, agave
sick day: dayquil, red bull, ritalin, claritin, aspirin, advil, aleve
minimum wage: mr. clean, money order, medical scrubs, french fries, toilet paper, phone card, latex gloves, pennies
mixed greens: baby spinach, baby kale, lacinato kale, nyquil, tennis ball, wheatgrass, spirulina, olive oil, dollars
big data: google glass, underwear, verizon bill, bacteria, omega-3 fish oil, purell, porn
crowd control: video camera, microphone, pig’s blood, pepper spray, duct tape, dirt
condo: coconut water, hdmi cable, infant formula, turmeric, yoga mat, glass
clear: purell, vodka, lemon, proactive, dianetics, neosporin, sugar
tourism: starbucks coffee, cheap sunglasses, metrocard, hotel soap, cupcake, cheesecake, cronut
supplements: protein bar, blueberries, tooth whitening, rogaine, viagra
plastic: water bottle, shopping bag, iphone case, cling wrap, k-y jelly, poland spring, fake plant
anarchy: infused vodka, axe body wash, protein powder, red bull, self-tanner, banana, dhea
Great stuff.