MITThe Dean's Gallery
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Marne Rizika:
Site to Sight - The Big Dig

May 8 ­ June 11, 2003

Curated by Michelle Fiorenza


The integration of science and art is very much to the point and subject matter of this work; construction, bridge engineering, and mechanical objects. I am interested in how these structures define and redefine the urban and industrial landscape.

My desire to record the historic Central Artery/Tunnel Project evolved out of earlier work, beginning with a series of Boston cityscapes. Then, living in the New York City area, I was fascinated by the overlapping bridges of the Major Deegan Expressway, as well as the construction across the river in New Jersey. During this same period, I was drawing and painting farm equipment in its natural landscape of North Dakota. The Big Dig provides a unique opportunity to expand on these years of work and further develop a personal viewpoint.

Back hoes, tractors, cranes: dinosaurs dancing, drumming: toys on a playground: actors moving in and around the play of caution yellow, fire engine red, snow white, tar black, sun orange, and rainy shades of gray. Against a backdrop of cityscape, large-scale equipment animates destruction and excavation: it constructs and erects dynamic structures like poetry, with tensions that wax and wane. Inspired by the sounds and sensations these physical elements evoke, I create realistic abstractions to reflect the real drama and rhythm of machinery in imaginary landscapes – inviting others to enjoy and participate in the theatre of the construction.


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