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For her first solo show, "Good Buy Human," open from June 23 to August 31 at The Breeder Gallery in Athens, Greece, Mark has created a hyperbolic effigy to commodification culture, with Haribo—once a luxury import with a literally-gilded surface—as her sacrificial lamb to burn in the pyre. Or, in the case of a video piece that'll be on view at the exhibition (and which you can watch above), an anthropomorphic Gold Bear played is offered up to the hellfire brought on by mass consumerism, capitalism, corn syrup, and other deliciously-evil stuff."I was obsessed with Haribo as a kid," Eric Wareheim told me over email. "Those images were burnt in my brain as this happy place. And it was so interesting to pervert those images and recall my experiences in this new format. Show the audience something they are comfortable with, then spin it in a new direction. The result is something sometimes quite disturbing… Also I needed a butt plug and Carly promised to give me a discount on the rainbow one."
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Carly Mark: This is my first solo show, so it will be a more comprehensive group of work than I've had the opportunity to display before. I'll be showing my bag paintings, which is the work most people know me for, but also sculptures, video, and wallpaper. I used Haribo as a starting point.The idea behind "Good Buy Human" is demise via commodification culture, but also the concept of misinterpreted history. The words "Good Buy" can be looked at in this way—a play on words whose double meaning suggests something "positive" (I say this in quotes because it can either be read as positive reinforcement for an action or a sales pitch), but also references an exit when said out loud.
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I was thinking about the loss of "human-ness" that is happening through self-commodification or our social selves. We're getting to this point where we are actually becoming what we project, and I'm not sure what that means. In a lot of ways, it feels like the end and commodification is at the root of it.When I was making the work for the show, I thought of it as being seen by a post-human life form, and, as is often the case with history, things get misinterpreted. I spent a lot of time at the Museum of Natural History and The Met. My glass bear sculptures reference Zuni fetish objects and the crook and flails of Ancient Egypt. Instead of being sacred/spiritual objects mirroring the natural world, they mirror a commercialized food character and are simply meant to go in your butt.
Everything interjected in the new paintings are things I like. You'll notice a pattern with the Brazil and Alien tropes—as in I'm very influenced by movies. I'm a fan of Terry Gilliam and Ridley Scott. Brazil's dystopian atmosphere reminds me of growing up in suburbs outside of Detroit. The constant underlying Christmas theme in the movie really does it for me. Giger's Alien is a female, which is cool. I think the intersecting happens naturally.
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You're right on point, and you'll notice when that line is delivered I'm seemingly the one in control (I have my hand in his butt). I think power is a theme to think about while watching the video. The Candy Kong character represents a misinterpreted and hyper-sexualized "new feminism" model. Who is control? Gold-Bear or Candy? I want the video to evoke these types of questions.
Everything is a play on words, or has double meaning. That's what I find most funny. Everything is a joke, but if that in itself is misunderstood, I find that very funny as well.I feel like most heads owe a lot to Tim & Eric, so it must be interesting to collaborate with someone like Eric, who we all idolize. How do you navigate making video art that's funny and stars Eric Wareheim, but is also your own vision?
It's not difficult because Eric and I have such a natural connection and he's basically my husband. It's one of those friendships where we just get each other. He's such an amazing and inspiring human. I believe in him and he believes in me, so working together is a no brainer.Can you tell me about your relationship with Haribo, the brand? I remember an interview that said your interest came from New York "bodegas, filled with familiar food brands, became landmarks as she filled out her mental map of the city."
I think Haribo has the best snack food branding. It's consistant and international. People relate to it everywhere because it is everywhere. There's a lot of nostalgia connected to it. The mental map aspect is accurate, though my map has expanded now that I'm working in Greece. I had a layover in Istanbul and the first thing I saw when I got off the plane was a rack of Haribo bags. I got out of the cab in front of the gallery when I reached Athens, and the bodega on the corner sold Haribo. People tell me when they see Haribo, they think of me. It's following me, but at this point, I'm also following you.