If you've ever had the urge to disrupt a public scene by doing something totally off-the-wall and unexpected, then you'll enjoy "Public Locations," the new exhibition at the Lionel Rombach Gallery that features the works of Lilly McElroy.
The exhibition, which serves as McElroy's honors thesis, is an exploration of the alienation and claustrophobia felt within contemporary society in public spaces and venues.
It's something that we can all identify with. At some point in our day, we all pass through a bustling commons, across a busy intersection or even along the UA Mall on the way to our next class.
McElroy's protest is something unique: She stages benign and non-confrontational actions that have the potential to disrupt a high traffic public setting.
Captured brilliantly in photographic series, McElroy's exploration has everything to do with the rejection of prescribed behaviors in a public area, behaviors that are more or less the unspoken rules of society and public interaction.
The artist's exploration of these often privately-owned public spaces reveals their transitory nature; that is, McElroy highlights their inherent function as channels for foot traffic by staging abnormal, often distressing, social interactions. She also explores the overwhelming lack of comfort or personal space in these areas, a feeling that has become more and more apparent due to today's fast-paced lifestyles.
McElroy is pursuing a bachelor's degree in both photography and creative writing at the UA. The exhibition "Public Locations" debuts Friday, Nov. 21, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.