'OH LORD'
My connection with Joe Horner began whimsically over a shared appreciation for chairs, and now we find ourselves delving into the his inspirations of his latest exhibit, "Oh Lord." A progression from a simple mutual interest, to exploring the depths of his creative process in his latest exhibition.
Horner's exhibit "Oh Lord" is an intriguing use of a merc on concrete blocks. But wait, there's more...
KYLE MCKENZIE: Joe, your exhibit "Oh Lord" in Detroit presents a stark image of a luxury object in a state of imposed functionality. Can you talk about the initial inspiration behind placing Mercedes rims on concrete blocks?
JOE HORNER: It was essential to use a timeless aspirational car. The artwork references the lyrics of the song “Mercedes Benz,” the last song recorded by Janis Joplin days before her death. Joplin prays that God will buy her a Benz, which is a sort of misuse of prayer motivated by a bastardized spirituality combined with the anxiety of the pursuit of happiness.
KM: The title "Oh Lord" has a spiritual connotation. while also referencing popular culture and song lyrics associated with the Mercedes brand. How does this interplay of references inform the viewer’s experience of the exhibit? And/or is this correlated to the reason behind the naming?
JH: The phrase “Oh Lord” has a dual function as an expression of longing for what you want and a curse for what you’ve lost.
I come from a rural fundamentalist religious childhood. Once as a kid at church, I remember a woman performed a hymn with some skill and frill and my dad told me how it was wrong because she made the hymn about showing off rather than keeping it pure.
Blues, hardcore, and simple hymns have a way of leaving the music at its most powerful fundamental notes without overworking or overthinking.
I don’t like to be tied down to any purist philosophy of making art, but that’s what I was thinking about with this work.
KM: Detroit has a powerful legacy in the automotive industry. How did exhibiting "Oh Lord" in Detroit contribute to the dialogue from/with locals/community.
JH: I definitely didn’t want to have the artwork interpreted as a portrait of Detroit, but I was well aware of how fitting it was to be showing the work in the Motor City past its economic prime.
KM: The Mercedes 380s is a symbol of luxury and status. By displaying its rims on concrete blocks, you transform its meaning. What commentary are you making on material wealth and social status through this transformation?
JH: The photographer Alfred Stieglitz described America as a harnessed, castrated horse. The Mercedes on blocks is a sort of castrated horse. This show is an observation of ancient spiritual instincts functioning with the materials and pent-up energy of contemporary life.
KM: Can you describe your process for selecting and sourcing materials for your installations? What was your thought process between rims on concrete blocks.
JH: The missing wheels allow for the possible interpretation of crime. It's pretty common to spot a car resting on cinder blocks because someone boosted the wheels. There's also the occasional car owner attempting a jerry rigged installation while waiting on missing parts.
One time I was living in a cabin at the back of a church, where the preacher used to live. For a while, someone was sleeping in the church parking lot in a broken down mustang. The life that gets you a mustang, but not a place to sleep, is an interesting set of events.
In my childhood neighborhood there were always a few houses with five or ten project-cars in the yard. These sculptural objects have interesting insights on the psychology of a person.
KM: Can you share some insights into the behind-the-scenes (BTS) imagery or steps from along the way. Also were there any challenges you had to overcome along the way? I noticed you posted a photo of siphoning gas... lol .what was that about!?
JH: I once watched a documentary about Michael Heiser and the logistics of installing his artwork Levitated Mass. When the execution of a proposal gets complicated, I’m reminded of that. Oh Lord technically is a levitated mass on a smaller scale—two tons resting on these pressure points where the rotor’s edge meets the cinder block.
Once the idea for the gesture was conceived, the “work” in “artwork” was just building trust and problem solving. The owner of the car tried to back out of the show four times, and I had to make financial guarantees in case the car was damaged. I played the role of therapist/salesman in order to fight for the artwork.
We displayed the sculpture in a gallery and then later displayed the sculpture outside in downtown Detroit. Last minute, the city required us to siphon the gas from the tank to prevent the fire station from shutting us down as an explosion hazard. We siphoned it from the Mercedes into my truck.
Once the sculpture was up, I had no guarantee that some crackhead wouldn’t shove the Mercedes off the cinderblocks and fuck the whole thing up or break into the car to the steal the radio. I was lucky that it all worked perfectly.
KM: How do you hope this piece will impact the audience? OR what are some comments you received on this piece from the audience/community?
JH: Not everyone appreciates a painting, but everyone appreciates a nice car. I never went to an art museum until I was in my twenties so a ton of my life-changing aesthetic/visceral experiences were never anything you would think of as art.
That authentic reaction from any demographic is part of what I hoped for. I hoped people would feel a sense of wonder and amusement the way I would if I came across a composition like this in the wild.
KM: Your work seems to touch upon notions of immobility and abandonment. How do these themes play into your broader artistic vision, and what drew you to explore these concepts?
JH: Yeah, sure. In the show I use elements of absence and negative space. Art is always partially about leaving something behind to clue an audience into the unseen.
These works do have a static side to them, like you say.
There's a spiritual element to images that reflect on the unseen. There’s a fucked up type of faith there.
KM: Could you expand on the technical aspects of your installation? How do you ensure stability and safety while maintaining the visual impact of the work?
JH: I have plans to make the sculpture structurally sound in a permanent way in the future, but the Benz was set on a precarious balance for the exhibition. Thousands of people online will tell you not to put your car on cinder blocks under any circumstances. I filled my blocks with rebar and concrete to be much safer. We drove to the gallery in the car and used a jack, like any other day working on a car.
KM: The act of decontextualizing an object often invites viewers to question its inherent value. After engaging with "Oh Lord," what conversations do you hope to spark about the objects we value in our society?
JH: When i'm making art, it’s a process of subverting and adding value. I make work that interests me, and if it's good, it generates a complex valuable reaction from the viewer and the culture.
KM: Looking beyond "Oh Lord," how do you see your work evolving in the future? Are there any new themes or mediums you are eager to explore?
JH: I’ve been thinking about the next two or three shows I'd like to do. Down the road I’d love to eventually interact with buildings and landscapes on a larger scale. I shift mediums constantly, but I like to think there's a sensibility that ties a lot of the work together.
I’m prototyping artwork for an upcoming show that will be laying out factual images of evolution and geological timescales. In the back of my mind these are somehow connected to theories of the apocalypse.
KM: How has the reception of "Oh Lord" influenced your thoughts on the relationship between art, commerce, and consumer culture?
JH: I was satisfied with the execution and the reaction.
I try to be agile moving through the art world since I have so much art that I need to make. Galleries are great, but I can't always wait around when they have two years of scheduled programming.
I enjoy collaborating to get access to new mediums and budgets which is why I worked with several brands to make this presentation happen. It’s more efficient to break down hierarchies and work with people I love and respect. My goal is to adapt and evolve without compromising the art.
Instagram: @joe_horner
