SPACE TRIP | Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design | 2020
In January 2020, the MTA Arts and Design program commissioned me to create a 52-channel installation in the Fulton Center in NYC. This was a dream project. When I lived in New York, the art in the subway stations always brought a little relief and joy to a chaotic commute. Shoved against a stranger on the train, I would close my eyes and imagine the places I would rather be. Reading tarot cards on a tropical island or sipping wine in an underwater restaurant? Sign me up! The project is also inspired by the inner sanctuary visualization in Shakti Gawain's Creative Visualization and by the daydreaming I did as a kid.
Tara Foster of MTA Arts and Design and I met at the Fulton Center on March 6 to make sure all 52 screens were synced. I had moved to Richmond, VA in November, and by early March I was already nervous about traveling to New York. The timing was not ideal. Still, I hope the work serves as a delightful distraction for the essential workers taking and operating the trains during the pandemic.
Below is Tara Foster's description of Space Trip, along with some of her photos of the installation.
"Imagine a world where birds commute to work, couples dine in underwater bubbles, and poodles dance in an outer space nightclub. Space Trip, Jordan Bruner's site-specific digital animation now on view at the Fulton Center, is inspired by her subway ride daydreams of imaginary landscapes, bringing to life fantasy worlds in her favorite places such as tropical islands, colorful forests, outer space, and the deep sea. These surreal scenes create alternate realities and bring added color and humor to Fulton Center. In Jordan Bruner's world, the animals dance in space while the planets orbit around each other...Space Trip, Bruner's fantastical 52-channel digital animations can be seen for two minutes at the top of each hour in the Fulton Center complex and the Dey Street pedestrian tunnel that connects to 11 subway lines and the World Trade Center PATH station. The work can be enjoyed through June 2020." — text by Tara Foster of MTA Arts and Design
Below are my original style frames.
