‘Ecstasy’ alters viewers’ perceptions

Natalie Tate
Published: Thursday, October 20, 2005

Mushrooms are growing out of the floor of the Museum of Contemporary Art – fungi of all shades, sizes and textures. Upon a closer inspection, viewers realize these objects are not mushrooms at all, but rather intricately handcrafted botanical replicas arranged in loose clusters across the museum’s concrete floor.

Such are the offerings on display at MOCA’s innovative new exhibit, “Ecstasy: In and About Altered States,” on display at the New Geffen Contemporary through Feb. 20. “Ecstasy” features works created during the past 15 years by 29 different international artists, ranging from the established to the still-emerging.

The common theme linking these works lies in their aim to distort traditional notions of reality and illusion and to critique conventional methods of perception.

At first glance, the exhibit seems to pay homage to the act of viewing the world under the influence of narcotics. Images of mushrooms abound throughout the exhibit, and the title itself implicates the drug Ecstasy, commonly associated with recreational rave culture.

But to write off the exhibit as merely a glorification of narcotics would be an egregious error. After seeing the many different layers and facets of “Ecstasy,” it becomes clear that although the title subtly alludes to drug culture, it mainly addresses the idea of ecstasy as an out-of-body experience or a moment of incredible, passionate insight akin to an epiphany.

And indeed, “Ecstasy” portrays art in a way that few viewers are likely to have experienced prior to attending the exhibit. It captures the incredible, often mind-blowing experience of a complete shift in perspective, at times even inducing uncertainty as to what is real and what is being constructed or altered by the mind.

“Ecstasy” surveys two separate arenas of perceptional experimentation. One group of artists uses drugs in their works, either literally or through representation, to convey altered states they have undergone themselves.

Fred Tomaselli takes this approach in his four works on display at “Ecstasy.” All are paintings depicting a single scene, but arranged in a mosaic style composed of actual pills, leaves, photo collages and acrylic paint. Tomaselli then manages to suspend some of the components in resin, creating a three-dimensional effect akin to a Magic Eye book’s optical illusions.

Other artists take a different approach by simulating an altered experience for the viewer.

Carsten Holler’s “Upside-Down Mushroom Room” is essentially a materialized hallucination that prompts viewers to experience their own unique hallucinations. Holler suspends giant mushrooms as if growing upside-down from the ceiling of a white spotlight-filled room. Each mushroom then rotates at a different speed, adding to the room’s disorienting quality.

The artists manage to create entirely original works, demonstrating their unique perspectives. “Ecstasy” never once feels contrived – an incredible feat MOCA has unequivocally accomplished.

Besides the art itself, perhaps the most gratifying aspect of “Ecstasy” is observing other viewers’ reaction to the works. Visitors alternately reveal expressions of bewilderment, delight and awe, but most importantly, they interact with the art on a personal level. That fact alone proves that MOCA has succeeded at the highest possible level with its display of “Ecstasy.”