What could be more useful than a Tic-Tac Holder? Not the plastic box that anyone can buy them in at the store — but an oversized, handcrafted, wooden apparatus designed to hold a single ovoid mint! “100% Functional” is the apt title of Joshua Pickens’ Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition, opening March 26 and continuing through April 6 in the Fine Arts Center Gallery.
In addition to the Tic-Tac Holder, Pickens has created an assortment of similarly practical objects — including a Pencil Holder (note: it’s bigger than a bread box) and a Coloring Book Holder (which comes with it’s very own Coloring Book Holder Lid Holder). You get the idea.
Combining Rube Goldberg’s absurdist contraptions with the rectilinear aesthetic of deStijl artists and adding exceptional woodworking skill, Pickens has assembled a dynamic installation of three-dimensional artwork that is, just like the title says, 100% Functional.
A reception for the artist will be held on Thursday, March 29 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm in the Fine Arts Center Gallery. Regular gallery hours are 9:00 am – 5:30 pm. Contact the artist at jjpicke@uark.edu.