Give a woman the chance to see the world—and she'll choose a tour of American merry-go-rounds. Jennifer Davis did it, and the results are hanging on Public Functionary's walls.
Opening last weekend, JoyRide revealed itself as a beautiful collaboration between artist and curator. Bright, whimsical, wall-sized pieces (a far cry from the creepy Coney Island take) are matched with a field of light bulbs hanging in the center of the open gallery. Also: swings. Very manic pixie dream girl.
But the crowd was the opposite, good, friendly, Minnesotans still wearing boots and sweaters in the middle of March. There was much talk of Davis' work as fodder for tattoos, much discussion of which piece was whose favorite, like a gang of kids picking which animal to ride around the carousel. The ostrich? The frog? As a matter of fact, I take back the manic-pixie comment. More like earnest and youthful. Like a joyride should be.
