Moderating an Artist Panel October 13, 2012 on Derek Larson’s ₮a₦₮ri₡ ₩€a₤₮h at May Gallery

Derek Larson’s multimedia installation includes large scale sculptural forms illuminated by precisely cropped projections of vibrant moving images, and screen printed original global currency themed Yantras. A Yantra is generally considered a printed pattern or symbol used for meditative purposes. In Sanskrit, the word Yantra means “instrument” or “machine.” Larson’s installation superimposes concepts of financial economy, emotional happiness and consumer psychology.

“What can you do when opportunities become out of reach, and when your choices dwindle to fewer and fewer? Current psychological research actually suggests that having fewer choices will make you happier and, conversely, having too many options is stressful. So how important is it to empower yourself? What about economic free-will and the idea that hard work will lead to success? What can one individual do? What are your options? Can you even empower yourself? Stare into the Yantra prints… Meditate on the layered currencies of the world. Feel the wealth of the world inhabit your body. Find faith in spiritual healing again, like when you used to read the Tao. That was a short and rocky time in your life but try remember the comfortable loneliness. Find your previous self, the one that didn’t have any money and didn’t care. Didn’t know how to care. No caring. That’s you. You’re free to float across the landscape, like that time you drove across the country with your old friend whom you’ve lost touch with. Let go… and enter the tantric economy. It isn’t worth it.”

– Derek Larson

Derek Larson is from Seattle and received his MFA from the Yale School of Art and has exhibited in the US and internationally, recently he presented his Memes project at the Finnish Museum of Photography in Helsinki. He has participated in a number of residencies including the Yale Norfolk Program and Arteles in Finland. His work has been featured in the Seattle Times, NY Arts Magazine and Rhizome @ The New Museum in New York.