Michelle Oosterbaan’s installation at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Art‘s Morris Gallery slaps three painted plywood runways onto the floor. And while there’s also beaucoup d’paint on the walls and ceiling, it’s the floor that holds the power here. The artist’s plywood tiles speak to the floor tiles of the Furness building’s lobby and while the conversation’s not much more than a hello and a handshake, it’s a nice touch.
This is a sunny, formalist piece that I enjoyed at noon on a bright day when the room was alit from the overhead skylights. I could have had a picnic right then and there if they would have let me.
By the way, after many years and much experience of walking on art, I still found stepping on Oosterbaan’s piece a transgressive act.
