Blurring the Boundary: Reinvigorating Joy in the Mundane through Juxtaposition

Abstract

There is an inherent tension between interior and exterior as experienced by the human body. We live an overwhelming majority of our lives indoors, yet we are consistently compelled towards the natural world. This compulsion is necessitated by biophilia, driving a desire to be around lifelike processes. The boundary between interior and exterior mandates that we live our lives on one side or the other at a time, never simultaneously existing both indoors and outdoors. A disparity between the spaces is therefore maintained by the boundary. This perpetual separation sets up for the perfect use of juxtaposition, which is utilized by artists to reinvigorate observational skills and guide viewers to rediscover joy in mundane experience. Visual art is the most conducive to this means of communication, as it allows the viewer to take a cyclical approach to information rather than forcing it into a standardized structure. Artists who take a critical eye to the standardization of presentation and violate the traditional methods of gallery display encourage a viewer to approach experience from a novel perspective, especially that of a domestic nature. Through a manipulation of perspective, the usual becomes unusual and mundane experience elicits a newfound sense of joy