The Drop Room is an immersive, sensory experience. Participants are welcomed into the space with a peppermint candy given to them by the artist. The fresh herbal treat transitions them into the black and white sensory experience. Big, bold drops fill the room from wall to floor. You can touch them, play with them, or just appreciate the shapes and colors. The drops lead to a large seated figure, lined with cushions and plush fabric, where you can lay, chat, and gain perspective. There is a rainy, white noise sound and an herbal scent drifting around the room.

Things to chew on…

My Favorite Shape—The Drop: Do you have a favorite shape? Why are certain people drawn to certain shapes? What is special about the drop? Is it blood, sweat, tears, milk, semen, rain, a speech bubble, an exclamation, a narrowing, an opening, a release, a pinch? I like thinking about how drops can be simultaneously saggy, tight, round, and sharp. Drops are circles, but with some sass.

Color—Black and White: What’s the emotion we feel with black and white? Soothed, stimulated, bored, excited, divided, simple, deep, intense, grounded? How do you interpret the world—in black and white areas? In grey areas? What’s so appealing to humans about binaries? What’s so sensational about bold shapes and colors?

The Seated Figure: Where do we find spaces for rest? When do we make time for play? How do we rest and play in a capitalist society? How does it feel to sit within the core of a figure? What emotion or features do you project onto this featureless figure? Does a blank face freak you out? Sooth you? Are the drops moving toward the figure or emanating out of the figure or neither?

Sense: How can we use our senses to immerse ourselves in a space? What are scents and sounds that reflect the concepts of this room? I chose a rain sound—let’s explore how rain is both devastating and cleansing. I chose a minty, eucalyptus scent—think about the memories you associate with herbal scents and the physical response you may have to them.

Expectation: How do you know what you can touch and play with? How does it feel to touch and play with art? What are the expectations when walking into someone’s open studio? I noticed a difference in interaction between adults and children in the space. How does instinct and expectation change as you age? How does it change based on appearance?