work: Exhibitions Galleries: Cult of the Machine, Deyoung Museum

Cult of the Machine was an exhibition that presented paintings, photographs, and objects from the American precisionist art movement of the ‘20s and ‘30s. Characterized by geometric forms, smooth surfaces, and linear qualities, the exhibition explored sentiments of anxiety as well as excitement towards industrialization and technology. In conjunction with presenting works from the period, the exhibition made connections to the present about our ambivalence towards technology today. The challenge was to tell this parallel story without overwhelming the artwork. “Folded” text panels, designed to evoke the streamlined aesthetic of the time, presented main explanatory text on one side and contemporary commentary and imagery on the other. The exhibition design also featured shaker furniture backlit to evoke a cityscape through shadows, as well as large-scale graphic backdrops.