George Herms: California Landscaping

As seen at MoCA Los Angeles, this installation by George Herms resonated with the child in me.

Each cubby, of which there are ninety, is inhabited by a thing — a random thing, a lost thing, a mismatched, forgotten thing.  An acorn, a feather, two matchbooks, and a shoe. There was a folded leather satchel, knickknacks, doodads, and thingamabobs — objects lost in the shuffle and a few from the war.

Seeing this piece was like sneaking into a mysterious uncle’s bedroom while he was at work, rifling through his closet, and uncovering who he was before he married my mother’s sister. I felt small and curious, mischievous, and befuddled.

I loved this installation and the message inscribed on its upper right corner — ‘to begin in 78’ — because for me, August of that year is indeed where it began.