MARC CHOQUETTE
Staff Writer
One may suddenly feel that they have been shrunk into the world of the film “Toy Story” upon first seeing San Franciscan Yoram Wolberger’s piece entitled “Toy Soldier #3 (Crawling Soldier).”
This ability of a work to alter one’s perception of reality was something Frederick Weisman saw as paramount to determining a piece of art’s value. Wolberger certainly achieves this with this 2004 work, which is on display at the Weisman Museums latest contemporary art exhibit: “Made in California.”
Wolberger has gained notoriety for his life-sized fiberglass sculptures of plastic toy figurines we remember as children. But it is not just the physical perspective that gets altered when you are staring face-to-face with the same GI Joe that you remember playing years ago.
What is most intriguing about observing this simple, fiberglass figure is the mental image one gets when seeing these figurines in life-sized proportions. All of the sudden, the gun he holds seems more real. The cowboy and Indian figures also done by Wolberger (but not on display at the Weisman) are no longer just toys on the living room carpet battlefield. They suddenly portray a real-life conflict that was a dark part of our history, one that was far from what many would consider “fun and games.”
Wolberger has always been fascinated in giving a new lease on life to mundane and familiar objects, removing the numbness that we eventually. In molding these life-sized plastic toys, he has created a new perspective through which to view our childhood. Suddenly, we begin to see through the green resin coating how we can be indoctrinated at a young age to view the world in a certain way, where life is seen in black and white terms and you are either on our side or their side.
With so many children idolizing the perfect, obedient American soldier in GI Joe, the life-sized version of the same character emits a reaction decidedly different than one would have seeing a bunch of these miniature toy soldiers sprawled out on the floor. It indicates image manipulation at its finest.
Wolberger’s work calls into question the whole idea of how figures such as these, in positions to kill with guns drawn, send a message to America’s youth that violence is, in fact, the answer. His other figures provide the basis for which Indians are vilified in American society and cowboys are seen as heroes.
Despite the plasticity and sharp lines that circumvent the figure (showing the evidence plastic mold used to form them), the lack of detail in the figure is much more noticeable at its inflated size. It is intriguing to note that all of these toy soldiers are faceless, as if to disconnect their humanity from the task at hand.
The powerful message by Wolberger through simple, offbeat means is what makes this latest batch of contemporary art so intriguing. While the message maybe simple and clear, his desire to call into question parts of life that many overlook and take for granted is what makes “Toy Soldier #3” and other works at the Weisman’s latest exhibit worth the trip.
11-26-2007
