Joy Garnett
ARTIST STATEMENT
Microfictions is an ongoing series of videos and prints originally created as Instagram stories shot and posted with a phone camera from a moving car, Airbnb interiors, and hiking trails of the High Desert of the Eastern Sierras, where I have been leading a nomadic life since May 2020.
ABOUT THIS PAGE
This webpage provides both images and description to render a virtual experience of each artist’s work. Below is an image gallery that includes installation shots and details of Joy Garnett’s text-image works, as well as a video work. In-depth written descriptions of both the photos and the video that provide visual, contextual, and other sensory information are available below the image gallery and video. Audio recordings of this material are available through the SoundCloud embedded above.
IMAGE GALLERY & DESCRIPTIONS
INSTALLATION
When you enter the EFA Project Space Gallery, you turn right to enter a large alcove which includes the work of both Gi (Ginny) Hou and Joy Garnett. Ginny’s work takes up a large portion of the alcove, and faces the wall where Joy’s seven photographs are hung. Each photograph is 19” x 13” and hung vertically with about 2” between them. On the back wall of the alcove, perpendicular to the line of images, is a 24” monitor hung vertically. The images are stills of the video that plays in a loop on this monitor, making each of the seven still moments come to life, and putting them in conversation with each other in a long and shifting flow.
Microfictions, 2020, archival prints on moab, 19x13 inches each, A/P.
The following are a description of the seven images, installed side-by-side in the gallery:
An image taken through open Venetian blinds on a window shows a person standing with their back to the camera on what appears to be stacked bricks or cinder blocks. The person faces a hazy, brightly lit sky and a ridge of hills; they have long hair and wear a turquoise t-shirt and bright pink-red pants, while holding large chunks of hair in either hand, as if making pigtails in mid-air. Part of their hair hangs down in the back outside the pigtails. A magenta text appears over the image: There was / no / way / to know / what / she was / thinking…
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An image of a dimly lit room shows a square of golden orange sunlight projected onto a yellow wall. In the center of the square is a shadow of a figure with one hand on their hip. The figure’s other hand isn’t visible in the shadow but is presumably holding the camera that is taking the image. The figure’s shadow is cut off mid-way at their head. Next to the square of light, there is a rectangular picture frame. The image inside the frame is cast entirely in shadow; the glass on the frame reflects a brightly lit window along with the figure’s head and shoulders. The edge of a bookshelf also casts a shadow into the square of orange light; in the light that spills down onto the brown carpet, the carpet resembles red clay. Over the image, the following text appears: blue glass / beads… / that / resemble / eyeballs / “To ward away / the Evil Eye.” The text “that resemble eyeballs” appears in a golden color that matches the gold of the light it sets adjacent to, while the other text appears in white. To ward away the Evil Eye appears in quotation marks.
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An image is taken on a bright day of a damp but seemingly dry creek or riverbed filled with twisted grass, a thick round stone sticking out of shallow water, and scattered debris. A long shadow divides the image diagonally. Reflected in the shadow is a figure, presumably the photographer, and the railing of a boardwalk. The leaves of trees cast shadows over a white stony beach and green brush lit by the sun. A text appears over the image: She / kept going… / didn’t / hear them / call….
“Kept going” is shown in yellow text, while the rest is in white.
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An image of a light yellow gray sky filled with smog or smoke. In the foreground, there are a few leafy tree branches and an enclosed metal structure that is cropped inside the image’s frame. At its edge, there is an opening that is overlaid with what appears to be chicken wire. A magenta text appears over the image: Mood swing with / Chicken coop… / ...and smoke / And wind….
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An image has been filtered bright red, turning the clouds red in a blue sky. In the background, the sky stretches out over a long horizon and an RV, also filtered red, parked in front of a yard with a low brick fence and a row of bushes. In the foreground, in darker red, an indistinct surface is cast in shadow. Over the image, a white text appears: ...her / photographs / show me hatless / and scowling, / the apocalyptic / landscape / behind me….
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An image shows the soft ripples of a body of water that look like the wrinkles on a silky bedsheet. The water is framed in the background by a range of gently sloping hills with one pointed peak and in the foreground by the black shadow of a shoreline. Behind the hills, it appears to be twilight or sunrise. The sky is a gradient that goes from bright white into a soft gold behind the hills to a light and dark grayish blue. The gold light reflects on the gray blue water. Over the image, white text appears: ...at night, / the sound / of wind whipping / through / the dark barren hills, / interrupted only by / the cries / of predatory birds / and small / doomed animals.
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An image shows a sandy colored gray mat resting on a pebbly beach almost the exact same color. A turquoise, orange and yellow water bottle sets on the mat, which is lightly dusted in pebbles and sand. A backpack has been left on the sand near the water bottle. A shadow emerges from the bottom corner of the image. A white text appears on top of the shadow: It was / early in the afternoon / when the drama / began / to unfold….
Microfictions, 2020, Instagram stories video, silent (r/t: 3m17s).
A still image tilted sideways shows a dimly lit room with a square of golden orange sunlight projected onto a yellow wall. In the center of the square is a shadow of a figure with one hand on their hip.The figure’s other hand isn’t visible in the shadow but is presumably holding the camera that is taking the image. The figure’s shadow is cut off mid-way at their head. The edge of a bookshelf also casts a shadow into the square of orange light; the light spills down onto the brown carpet, making it resemble red clay. Next to the square of light, there is a rectangular picture frame. The image inside the frame is cast entirely in shadow; the glass on the frame reflects a brightly lit window along with the figure’s head and shoulders. Over the image, the following text appears letter by letter: blue glass beads… / that resemble eyeballs/ “To ward away the Evil Eye”
The text “that resemble eyeballs” appears in a golden color that matches the gold of the light it sets adjacent to, while the other text appears in white. To ward away the Evil Eye appears in quotation marks.
There’s a cut to a still image of the soft ripples of a body of water, which look like the wrinkles on a silky bedsheet. The water is framed in the background by a range of gently sloping hills with one pointed peak and in the foreground by the black shadow of a shoreline. Behind the hills, it appears to be twilight or sunrise. The sky is a gradient that goes from bright white into a soft gold behind the hills to a light and dark grayish blue. The gold light reflects on the gray blue water. Over the image, white text appears letter by letter: ...at night, / the sound / of wind whipping / through / the dark barren hills, / interrupted only by / the cries / of predatory birds / and small doomed animals.
There’s a cut to a similar still image of the same body of water on the same shoreline, now shown with the sun peaking over a ridge in the hills. The sky is now powder blue. Over the image, white text appears letter by letter: Down on the beach, / the water shone / like a coin. / In the far / distance, / snowcapped peaks / loomed like / the / backdrop to a / stage set….
There’s a cut to a moving image of a light yellow gray sky filled with smog. In the foreground, there are a few leafy tree branches that blow in the wind and an enclosed metal structure that is cropped inside the image’s frame. At its edge, there is an opening that is overlaid with what appears to be chicken wire. It sounds like someone is rehearsing the piano. A magenta text appears letter by letter: Mood swing with / Chicken coop… / ...and smoke / And wind….
There’s a cut to a still image of a bright sun shining on a crystalline body of water that shimmers in the sunlight. A brown beach runs along the water. Behind the water, rolling hills, lead up to a dark mountain scattered with snow. A lens flare at the bottom of the image glows orange. White text appears letter by letter:
Everything was calm. / Everything was calm / except for the / relentless wind, which / tormented the surface of / the water until it / glittered….
There’s a cut to a still image of the same dimly lit room as the first image. The shadow that appears in the square of golden orange light is now elongated with their legs stretching the entire length of the room and out of the frame. A cord cuts into the plush brown gray fabric, snaking across the room. A white text appears letter by letter: It was like / putting / myself in / the center / of an / enormous / refractive / lens….
There’s a cut to a still image of a sandy gravel road amid desert grasses and mountain peaks sporadically dusted with snow against a powder blue sky. A white text appears letter by letter: There was a / loud bang like / an explosion, / and our bus / careened off / the Desert / Road….
There’s a cut to a still image of a long dusty road that winds toward thick low gray hills and a bright blue sky. The image appears to be taken through a window and shows the reflection of an orange object, perhaps a bag, in the blue sky. A single tiny structure that looks like a house appears amid a mostly flat landscape of brownish grass. A white text appears letter by letter: To get to the lake, / you turn off the / highway onto a gravel / road through scrub / and waist-high / grasses / to a tangle of / shallow ruts in the / sand.
There’s a cut to a still image of a sandy colored gray mat resting on a pebbly beach almost the exact same color. A turquoise, orange and yellow water bottle sets on the mat, which is lightly dusted in pebbles and sand. A backpack has been left on the sand near the water bottle. A shadow emerges from the bottom corner of the image. A white text appears on top of the shadow letter by letter: It was / early in the afternoon / when the drama / began / to unfold….
There’s a cut to a still image that has been filtered bright red, turning the clouds red in a blue sky. In the background, the sky stretches out over a long horizon and an RV, also filtered red, parked in front of a yard with a low brick fence and a row of bushes. In the foreground, in darker red, an indistinct surface is cast in shadow. Over the image, a white text appears letter by letter: ...her / photographs / show me hatless / and scowling, / the apocalyptic / landscape / behind me….
There’s a cut to a moving image of gently rippling water, reflecting the shadow of the videographer who moves their free hand down and then back up to the camera. Under the clear water is what appears to be sand or pebbles similar in color to the beaches previously shown in other images in the video. Over the image, a white text appears letter by letter: By the time we / arrived / downtown, / I began to feel / the symptoms... This text is then replaced by a light pink text that reads: ...moments later / I began / to disappear…
The angle of the camera on the water shifts so that it no longer centers the shadow of the videographer.
There’s a cut to a still image of a pinkish orange sun in a smoggy sky filled with power lines above a ridge of hills or mountains, a white wooden fence, and some bushes. Over the image, a pink text appears letter by letter: memories / of / pink / Plastic…
There’s a cut to a still image of a glowing orange sun in a dark blue gray sky. The word “Smoke” fades onto the screen in a cursive font and flickers and then fades out.
There’s a cut to a still image of a seemingly sunbleached white and cream-colored rock that is cragged and dusty, extending down into what appears to be water. A black text highlighted in mint green appears letter by letter: Nothing / is / written in / Stone…
There’s a cut to an image of a clearing in a forest, sunlit, with beams of light filtered between the tops of pine trees falling on beige and gray green grass with yellow green flowers. A white text highlighted in black appears letter by letter: If there / was a / message, / she couldn’t / find / It.
There’s a cut to a still image of a damp but seemingly dry creek or riverbed filled with twisted grass, a thick round stone sticking out of shallow water, and scattered debris, shown on a bright day. A long shadow divides the image diagonally. Reflected in the shadow is a figure, presumably the photographer, and the railing of a boardwalk. The leaves of trees cast shadows over a white stony beach and green brush lit by the sun. A text appears over the image letter by letter: She / kept going… / didn’t / hear them / call…. “Kept going…” is the only text not highlighted.
There’s a cut to a still image of a pile of yellow hay. There’s a shadow where the hay takes on a dark brown color, as if wet or burnt. Over the image, an orange text highlighted in white appears letter by letter: She didn’t / leave / a / Note….
There’s a cut to a still image of two bright lights glowing hazy against a completely black background. One of the lights appears to be the sun or the moon or perhaps a headlight. The other light is smaller and square shaped, perhaps also a headlight. A pink text appears over the image letter by letter: He wore a / dark uniform / with shiny / buttons. / I seemed / to be / his only passenger.
There’s a cut to a still image seemingly lit by the flash of a camera. A hand holds a glass container of what appears to be pink gelato against a completely black background. A pink text quickly appears over the image letter by letter: She / ate / it / All.
There’s a cut to a still image of a gold lit room. The camera faces the sun, photographed through a window that has been partially closed with Venetian blinds. There’s an indistinct shape of what appears to be a curvy, plush object––possibly a sofa––which is cast mostly in shadow except for its topmost edge, which is bathed in gold light. A white text highlighted in black appears letter by letter: We / were ahead / for the first time / of /the curve… For the first time” appears in red text, unlike the rest.
There’s a cut to a still image of an object that looks like a glassy surface filled with a purple liquid that appears to be in motion going from a deep violet color to lavender, next to some kind of metal mechanical apparatus that is also indistinct and of uncertain orientation to the purple shape. On top of the image, a magenta text appears letter by letter: Nothing is / Written / In / stone....
There’s a cut to an image of a dark road only lit by the headlights of a car, photographed through the windshield of the car lighting the road. Yellow text highlighted in dark gray appears over the image, letter by letter: Les frères Verreaux / were / dodgy / characters.
There’s a cut to a still black and white image of a plate of oysters. A filter has been applied that shifts and blurs different parts of the image magenta and turquoise. An orange text highlighted in white appears letter by letter: She couldn’t / Stop thinking / about / Bivalves....
There’s a cut to a still image, which has been taken through open Venetian blinds on a window. The photo shows a person standing with their back to the camera on what appears to be stacked bricks or cinder blocks. The person faces a hazy, brightly lit sky and a ridge of hills; they have long hair and wear a turquoise t-shirt and bright pinkish red pants, while holding large chunks of hair in either hand, as if making pigtails in mid-air, while part of their hair hangs down in the back outside the pigtails. A magenta text appears on the screen letter by letter: There was / no / way to know / what / she was / thinking…
There’s a cut back to the same still image of the dark road lit by headlights, which repeats the text: “Les frères Verreaux were dodgy characters” while being interrupted by blue text in cursive that reads: “Maybe she wasn’t dreaming.” Another text appears over the image, highlighted in red: “She / kept having / these / weird dreams.”
There’s a cut to a moving image taken from the threshold of a dark room that gradually gets brighter from a light source outside the room. On the wall there is a photograph of a tree and the shadow of a chair. A light yellow text appears letter by letter on a gray brown background: There was / no / turning / back…. This text repeats once.
There’s a cut to a still image of a road with a lane of traffic going in the opposite direction of the lane of the car from which the photographer took the image. Behind the road is a desert landscape with mountains and a blue sky. Two different texts appear letter by letter simultaneously:
Sometimes / she just / wanted to / get out
Mountains / behind mountains….
ARTIST BIO
Joy Garnett is an artist and writer from New York. She lives in the high desert of Nevada where she’s writing a family memoir of Egypt. She has exhibited her work at the FLAG Art Foundation, MoMA-PS1, Whitney Museum, Artists Space, Smack Mellon, White Columns (NY), the Milwaukee Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Craft Portland (OR), Boston University Art Gallery, National Academy of Sciences (Washington, DC), and the Witte Zaal (Ghent, Belgium). Garnett is the Art Editor of the Evergreen Review. Her art and writings have appeared in an eclectic array of publications that include: Rusted Radishes (Beirut, Lebanon); Full Blede (Los Angeles, CA); Ibraaz (Kamal Lazaar Foundation); Ping Pong (Henry Miller Memorial Library, Big Sur, CA); and The Artists’ and Writers’ Cookbook (powerHouse Books, NY). She has been awarded grants from Anonymous Was a Woman, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, The Wellcome Trust, and the Chipstone Foundation. Her work is in the permanent collections of the National Academy of Sciences, Altria, and The West Collection (Oaks, PA). She is a 2019-20 SHIFT Resident at the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts. For information about her family archive project: thebeekingdom.art