Voyeurism, Separation, and Entry
The video is ensconced in pearlescent porcelain curtains, frozen in the form of the proscenium arch. The curtains hint that there is something to be shown, something that can be drawn to hide. Here again appears the notion of the tableau, a specific sort of frame, a stage set for action to unfurl, a reminder that audience and the action/inhabitant/actor are in separate worlds. The lonely world cannot entirely be entered or shared. Yet, in the case of the daring viewer who chooses to cross the threshold, he/she is able to create and unfold his/her own set of actions upon the stage. All the props are ready and present: the houses scattered in the carpet, the hourglass hanging on the wall, the gloves slung upon on the tiny shelf.
The iconic picture window found in so many suburban homes functions not only to let in light and frame the surrounding landscape, it also frames the tableau of intimate life and its accoutrements for the wandering eyes of the curious neighbor or passerby. Because the video is tucked away on the inside, the viewer must crouch down to peer through the window or the door. In this way, the viewer is invited to engage in the enticing action of peeping into windows of others. The crouching viewer becomes part of the work as his/her actions serve both to entice the curiosity of others, and to underscore the emotional separation inherent in the fantasy world.
Throughout the work, various layers of frames and pedestals serve to create a sense of metaphorical elevation, physical separation, and picturesque preciousness. The satin pillow pedestal of the house evokes both a sensuously soft bed and the lining of a jewelry box. Inside the Play House, elaborate corner sconces profile various model houses. On the far wall, a particularly choice model house rests upon a tiny, delicate pink chaise lounge, which then sits upon a highly decorative wall sconce. Yet again, the Pinnacle trio uses this double nesting of platforms: the tall and craggy golden pinnacles, topped by perfect green lawns, upon which sit tiny porcelain houses sinking deeply into elegantly sculpted porcelain pillows. The video itself operates on many layers of remove: the use of the golden frame to house the princess figure; the screen housed behind luscious, immobile curtains; and finally, the deep and curvaceous molding around the window and door which frames the entire set.
