Lost and Found

When you travel a lot on foot, it gives you time to really see some things. It can be good, in a “take time to smell the roses” or “the journey matters more than the destination“ way. It can be bad, like when you get caught in a downpour and your socks get wet or the heat and humidity combine to do their best impression of a sauna and the things you’re seeing are raindrops and mirages. And sometimes it’s just weird. Exhibit A: Baby in a Shoe.

Baby in a Shoe

Baby in a Shoe is a mixed media work composed of rubber and plastic, artist unknown, seen on display on the Cayuga Trail in Ithaca, NY. How did someone lose a shoe? Where did the baby come from? How did the shoe and baby meet? These are the questions we must ask ourselves.

Next, we have Chair. Made of wood and metal, Chair is a reworking of its surroundings. Imagine you’ve been walking through the forest for hours. You’re tired, and hungry, and you’re looking for a convenient rock or log to sit down, rest your feet, and snack on some trail mix. You round the corner, and there’s Chair. You sit down on Chair. You feel a tickle on your arms and legs. It’s a trap. Chair’s bereft tree friends are reaching out for you with their branches and pulling you into the forest. The last thing you see before the trees swallow you is Chair.

Chair

Moving on, to Baby Toddler Kids UPF 50+ Adjustable Chin Strap Wide Brim Breathable Summer Play Beach Pool Swim Sun Hat. This cotton and/or polyester work evokes the child inside each of us while also conjuring a sense of loss. Now lost: baby hat, once worn.

Baby Toddler Kids UPF 50+ Adjustable Chin Strap Wide Brim Breathable Summer Play Beach Pool Swim Sun Hat

Finally, Door 2 is an interactive outdoor art installation constructed from wood and glass. As it lies on the ground, the rainwater pools on its panes. The leaves cover its planks. Even as nature reclaims Door 2, we recognize its human form and function. Is it [a] Door 2 a subterranean civilization? Door 2 an alternate dimension? Door 2 a mud puddle? We may never know.

Door 2

Thank you for visiting the Lost and Found art gallery, where admission is always free and the exhibits are ever changing. Please enjoy the rest of your day and come back again soon.