On a hike with my kids once, my son recoiled from something he could see, but I couldn’t. As he stepped backward, a large snake came into view. We paused to give it plenty of space and let it cross our path. On our hero’s journey, we encounter both guides and adversaries. We get to choose who accompanies us along the path, and I am grateful he and others with me were paying attention!
Lara Favaretto creates works that straddle the line between seduction and danger. In an installation titled Simple Couples, which employs automated carwash brushes spinning at extreme speeds, the beauty of the form pulls in viewers, but physically interacting with them would be disastrous. Moving through life, we need to assess which dangers, regardless of how compelling or intriguing they may be, must resolutely be avoided.
