I've been wanted to go for a while to Voz Alta Project in Barrio Logan. Saturday I decided that going to see the last work by the The Infinity Lab was the good occasion. I was attracted by the title of the show and I also read strange things about that group of artists which made me want to know more. The Infinity Lab is run by three loco doctors: Dr. Cuddles With Cats, Dr. Niku and Dr. Hueso. I checked out some of their videos online, on their YouTube channel. Their work, strangely, seems to me at the same time pretty serious and rather silly - well, I guess, in that sense it is very Dada. In their videos, the doctors of the Infinity Lab always appear with masks and costumes, so it is impossible to recognize them. Dr Cuddles with Cats: "Adopting a different costume can change the way you interact with the world, and the way the world interacts with you".
The Infinity Lab: Dr. Niku, Dr. Hueso and Dr. Cuddles With Cats,
with their costumes: hats, sunglasses and masks,
holding their props and wearing red.
San Diego City Beat - cover- August 2008
I like that the three doctors have a mysterious identity. The "Lab" concept offers them endless possibilities to experiment in various directions. They seem to have a good time doing what they are doing which is great. Also there is an aspect of their work which is irreverent, I like that.
Check out that video: "Blue Chip Special #4: The Infinity Lab does Jeff Koons. Special Guest Performer: Dr. La Bone. Jeff Koons oversees the creation of the sacred cow."
So, the show! Nice place, nice vibe. The three doctors were there, but totally incognito!
DJ Dan Camacho was operating in the back room.
DJ Dan Camacho
"Mask"
"Gloves"
On the walls are displayed nine 3' square drawings on paper made with exclusively Crayola crayons. The nine transient things are: "Peppermint" (the cat), "Bone", "Ms. Meatcow", "Ears", "Hat", "Antennae", "Mask", "Glasses" and "Gloves".
But the very first ones I see on the right are the mask and the gloves. In the midst of the swine flu hysteria (Saturday, May 2, was right at the pick of it), I cannot not make the link with what is going on. I am very interested in artwork related to "here and now", so this sends a good signal about how perceptive the doctors of the Infinity Lab are - although they made the work before the "outbreak". But it is around, in our subconsciousness. The fear of contamination, the need for protection.
From left to right: antennae, mask and glasses.
Peppermint
Hat
Ms Meatcow
On the left end of the room are hanging the three objects, symbols of the three doctors: The cat, "Peppermint", is Dr. Cuddles with Cats', the cow, Ms. Meatcow, is Dr. Niku's and the bone is Dr. Hueso's.
"Peppermint", Ms. Meatcow and the bone
On the right end of the gallery, an 18mn video runs on a loop.
I watch the video about Peppermint, Ms. Meatcow and Bone going from California to New York and back. They are overlaid on different pictures of the places they go to (Las Vegas, the desert, Texas, Mount Rushmore...). Along the way the trio finds and takes the 6 other transient things (the ears, the hat, the antennae, the mask, the glasses and the gloves). For example they find the mask in New York at Ground Zero.
Next to the video, there is a triangle shaped shelf with, on top of it: Crayola crayons boxes, Crayola crayons protective papers in a jar and Crayola crayons shavings in another one.
Dr. Cuddles with Cats: "There's this artist, Haim Steinbach, who makes shelves, and we made a parody shelf. In the animation, the characters: Peppermint, Ms Meatcow, and Bone go to New York and they find Haim and they trade all the things they found on their journey and themselves for the shelf. The same shelf in the animation is [here] in the gallery."
"Blue Chip Haim Steinbach Special."
If you missed the opening reception, go to the closing one - DJ Dan Camacho will be there again.
Closing Reception: Saturday, May 16, 2009 from 7pm -11pm
Exhibit dates: May 2-May 16th.
For more information:
vozaltaproject.org or myspace.com/theinfinitylab
The Infinity Lab
The Infinity Lab / YouTube
Voz Alta Project
Neighborhood: Barrio Logan
1754 National Ave
(between Sigsbee St & Beardsley St)
San Diego, CA 92113
(619) 230-1869
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