Recess

Broad Street Gallery
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

Dunphy's long-term interest in upholstered sculpture has expanded to a new body of work in which she is fabricating oversized playground equipment. Visitors gleefully discover that two swings and a seesaw have been installed in the gallery, beckoning the audience to participate in an ongoing performance of playtime.

The stylized, vinyl chain-link fence that surrounds Dunphy's new installation contains the fantasy playground within. Acting both as protection and restraint, this iconic border does more than remind us of schoolyards of our youth; it resonates with the function of keeping us in and keeping them out.

Inside, we swing and play, fantasizing about the perfect childhood. The playground furniture is dolled up with flawless naugahyde in the season's hippest colors. You'll find no scrapped knees or bullies inside these walls. Dunphy's supple materials and meticulous craftsmanship evoke utopian perfection.

Mounting any piece in Dunphy's theatrically idealized playground reminds adult players of the importance of recess time.

—Robin Dana, Fall 2003