Originally published on WTHR.com in September 2016.
INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) – This month at the Harrison Center for the Arts, Kipp Normand’s The Universal Anthology explores Indiana history in unexpected and often delightful ways.
Normand is a longtime artist in residence at the Harrison Center, located on Delaware Street in downtown Indianapolis. He’s known for his fantastically detailed collages and carefully curated collections of long-forgotten or overlooked memorabilia and crafting thought-provoking displays.
“This is not a show for somebody who wants to pass through quickly,” Normand said. But for those who take time on the details, the rewards are numerous.
Drawing on a mantra from the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles, Normand quotes, “the world is bound with secret knots.” Along with the multi-layered meanings – evident and hidden in his work – are connections between the displays.
“I find that to be the case in all of the work that I do, the things I’m interested in. All these little lines of thought and reference throughout history and throughout the different cultures in the world, we’re all connected in ways that we’re completely unaware of, and if you take the time to explore, you really feel a great sense of rootedness with the rest of humanity – not only in a place but in our own time,” Normand said.
One element of Normand’s work is more straightforward and whimsical: drawing on the Victorian concept of the “cabinet of curiosities,” he scours the state’s flea markets and secondhand shops (or sometimes people just leave stuff on his front porch that might be of interest) and comes up with ancient boxes of thumb tacks or nails, business accounts from 100 years ago, antiquated publications that promise the reader “Wonders of the Universe.” These collections are placed under glass for the visitor to peruse, and the closer you look, the more you’ll find.
Engraved illustrations from 19th century travel magazines that were “crumbling to bits” were rescued for the title piece of the show, “The Universal Anthology.” Thumbtacks anchor a web of embroidery thread that links the images to star charts and breakdowns of what the American population spent its income on at the turn of the last century (hint: booze and tobacco are at the top).
“I like the idea of creating this imaginary world where all of these things exist together,” Normand explained, referring to the famous buildings depicted in the illustrations. Hovering above them are pages taken from the record books of an Oddfellows Lodge somewhere in Indiana. Layered over that are pages from an encyclopedia showing star charts and graphs. The collage of record-keeping, timelines, architecture and connectness creates that sense of rootedness that Normand talks about.
Delving into the minutiae brings rewards, too, along with plenty of food for thought. In his use of historic material, Normand often uncovers reminders of the past that can be difficult to talk about. But he feels that a discussion about those old attitudes and how they’ve evolved can be beneficial towards understanding the present – and towards resolving differences.
In one collage entitled, “The American Dream,” a prominent element in the work is an advertisement from the LaSalle Realty Co. taken from a 1972 phone book reads, “specializing in houses for ‘colored,'” juxtaposed with the words, “Home sweet home.” The effect is deliberately ironic, as the ad conjures up an era of red-lining and segregation that marginalized communities on the basis of their race. The American Dream – as Normand says – doesn’t exist for everyone.
“In the research that I do, in making my work, I find references all the time to racism and issues surrounding treatment particularly of African-Americans and Native Americans throughout the history of this country. What’s interesting in my mind is that today, many people talk about this being a post-civil rights era and feel like issues have been addressed,” Normand said.
But “there are these long-standing historical injustices and inequities that persist in our society, absolutely, and I just wanted to put the evidence out there and show people that yes, this is the way middle class and upper class white people have thought for generations,” he said, and those notions still pervade American society.
He talks about the great migration in the 1930s of African-Americans from the deep south to industrial cities in the north or Midwest. “They found in the northern part of the country cities that did not welcome them and they found a world that was just as segregated and sometimes even more cruel than the places that they left,” he said.
Time and again, Normand’s work draws on multiple levels of meaning – the sheer fascination of glimpsing a piece of forgotten history – a child’s homework lesson with a faded “A” from a pleased teacher; illustrations from an archaic medical textbook – but dig deeper, and you’re confronted with uncomfortable reminders of the past. Outdated notions that kept large segments of society from achieving all they could, or that perpetuated beliefs that native populations were always inferior to western cultures.
“The American Dream,” and a companion piece entitled “Separate but Equal,” which confronts the educational system, present uncomfortable but essential historical facts from Indiana’s past. Normand mentions the construction of Crispus Attucks High School, which institutionalized segregation in Indianapolis (see WFYI’s documentary for details).
“I think that the whole idea of constructing separate facilities really reinforced the idea of segregation. There were separate facilities but I don’t think anyone could say they were equal,” said Normand.
“That’s a fantastic institution and there’s really a wonderful history there. I love to walk through the halls of that building and look through the photographs of all the graduating classes going back to the mid-1920s. It’s really marvelous to see that that is a place that really respects its history and values it. I wish that all of our city, all of our culture would value the history that is here, because there’s so much to learn from the history of Indianapolis – there’s so much to be proud of. There’s also a great deal of things that are shameful. And I think the more we ignore those shameful things, the more we allow their repercussions to persist in our modern world,” he said.
In the next room, three large harmoniums (pump organs) dominate a large display. Apparently two of them are still in working order. (Click here to hear what they sound like.) Several animals – including a rooster and deer – preserved by taxidermy keep a watchful eye on visitors. Many of Normand’s works capture a kind of enchantment that makes you feel as though you’ve stumbled into some secret world.
“Where we are today is the result of thought and culture – everything that’s gone before us is here. We’re the sum total of all that. What we do with it now is really a challenge for us to see that we have the opportunity to shape the direction of the future – for better or worse. It’s a great responsibility and I wish that people would be aware of it,” he said.
Additional explorations:
If you need more Kipp Normand, check out the Museum of Psych Phonics, which is located in the labyrinthian Murphy Arts Building in Fountain Square (This is a marvelous collection of salvaged musical instruments, old TV sets and other odds and ends, all situated in an enchanting reclaimed storage closet next to Joyful Noise Recordings.)
Sara K. Galer 