ONCEYOUSEEITYOUCANTUNSEEIT$25
            Michael Merck
            2018
 








Released in 2018, Michael Merck's O…T (onceyouseeityoucantunseeit) is a collection of drawings created between the years of 2015 and 2018 whose form and content are directly influenced by the news media consumed throughout their creation. During this brackish period where two conflicting political ideologies engaged in a chaotic transfer of power, individuals continued to try and live and work, take care of themselves and plan for the future. All the while fingers pointed in opposite directions and every scenic recap was punctuated with water cannons and tear gas; water cannons and batons and rubber bullets and tear gas.

O...T attempts to represent the uncertainty and maleficence that this political theater seeded into daily life and to try and plot a course — or at least provide some tools — for understanding a way forward that preserves the will to believe in a fair and equitable society.

Formally, each original work on paper is made with a collage carbon transfer process embellished by various hand tools and smearings of organic matter. The cerebral/corporeal experience is further represented in book form with semi-transparent interleaving and wet stamped with one of two types of unique sculpture — found, used, small ziploc baggy containing a charm OR small canvas satchel with a palm of red clay cinched inside.

This title is held in the collections of:
The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University
Ohio University