Entroplay looks at discrepancies of scale from a child’s perspective. In a world where the faucet is too high to get water, interesting objects are often just out of reach, and adults take you here and there without much say in the matter, manipulating small things is one area kids can control — both the physical objects and the narrative.
“Entropy” is the dispersal of energy, sometimes thought of as a measure of order and disorder. A social analogy to the physical law is our constant effort to keep certain things separate – hot from cold, sharp from soft – and to hold entropy at bay. We notice entropy at an early age (balloons do not fill themselves) and much of our play as children explores the desire to reverse entropy by creating something from nothing or at least from less than nature would allow. Small chunks of plastic become animals and televisions that power themselves to display imaginary shows. Order is created and destroyed in miniature worlds.
Working under the name Verdstein Studio, I worked with scientist/partner Christopher Green, and our three children Ruby (age 3), Josie (7), and Sam (9) as we set out to reverse entropy in miniature worlds.
This project was exhibited as part of the show Actual Scale at the Kala Gallery, February 21 – March 30, 2013.