Display features destroyed cell phones

The opening reception of Jeremy Kennedy’s exhibition “4 Cell” on Friday night at the Fuller Projects showed off his amusement with cell phones and the way people interact with them.

“I hope everyone enjoys themselves,” Kennedy said.

The show consisted of many different cell phones that had been mutilated in some way. Some were in fish tanks and microwaves while others had bullet holes or had been run over by a vehicle.

“Except for the one where a bow and arrow is going through the phone, I really did destroy all of them how they said they were destroyed,” Kennedy said.

Each cell phone was placed in a background that showed the way it was ruined.

A cell phone and a bread knife, which Kennedy used to cut the phone in half, were mounted on a cutting board. A phone that was crushed by a bowling ball was carefully placed on the ground, slightly underneath the bowling ball.

“I love all of them because they’re all puns,” freshman Stephanie Halsted said of the cell phones. “I’m glad that we have them, but they aren’t something I actually love.”

Although he works with painting and sculpture, Kennedy has worked with music in the past as well. The show also featured cell phone ringtones he created to play as background music.

“I downloaded all of these ringtones from my friends and anything else I liked, and then mixed them myself,” Kennedy said.

A unique feature of the show was the do-it-yourself chance to smash a cell phone.

A few cell phones were centered in the middle of the room atop a piece of plywood. At a fee of 50 cents per hit, guests could use a hammer or screwdriver to destroy a cell phone.

“My favorite is the one that’s being microwaved,” guest Eric Woodworth said. “It’s sort of like a conflict between machines. Jeremy is like a tourist in his own world.”

Kennedy also included repeating prints of a picture of him shooting a cell phone in each of the windowpanes of the Fuller Project space.

“It’s just all the ways I interact with my cell phone,” Kennedy said.

Another piece featured a cell phone being pierced by a pen at a 90-degree angle.

“The one with the pen was so cool,” guest Sara Ornelas said. “I feel like for me, it’s about the war between old and new communication. It’s the power of the pen versus the instant connection of the cell phone.”

In the spring, Kennedy plans to continue his work, which includes a publicity stunt currently titled “Parking Permit II.” The event will feature three to five people being judged while they parallel park their cars in Bloomington.

“It’s the drama of watching someone parallel park, and just waiting to see if they’re going to mess up, that I’m aiming for,” Kennedy said.