Permanent+Visitor

Permanent Visitor by Kaydren Orcutt

= = = = = Literary Artistic Statement =

Life is all about choices. The Bible talks about “free will”. Americans champion their rights. Everything in life is a choice. But do people choose the right choices? In a choice between technology and nature, what would you choose? This box represents the struggle that choice brings about. On the left side, there are sparkly and colorful things. There is as picture of ancient Egyptians playing music, representing the arts. There are many colorful butterflies, all different sizes, shapes and colors. These represent the diversity of nature. There is a sparkly green stone, reminiscent of a crystal orb that has a mystical feel, representing magic. The three different colored markers at the bottom represent the Holy Trinity. The markers and the stone on top of the markers represent spirituality. Also there are shiny sparkly stars. These stars dangle from the top of the box on the left side. The stars represent the phrase “reach for the stars”, which means to aspire to do whatever you want to aspire to, and not to settle. These aspirations can also be dreams. The stars represent keeping dreams alive and not giving up. This side of the box is representative of the wonder of nature, including the arts, spirituality and the beauty of dreams and aspirations. On the right side, there is technology. A cell phone is purposely open, resting on the far side and tilted, so the viewer's reflection can not be seen on the dark screen. This shows that the person can not look at their self, and so cannot have self awareness. Also, the phone does not work. When technology does not work, people use the term “dead”. Thought the phone was never alive, there is no semblance of life when it can no longer turn on and at least show some lively qualities, like light and noise. Next to the phone lays a radio. On the radio, there is a picture of a bird, but the bird is grounded on the piece of technology. Thus, there is only an illusion of the freedom the bird is trying to represent. There is no true freedom to be found with the technology. Laying across the phone and flat on the bottom is a broken watch. The watch piece is complex, with multiple facets on its face and buttons and words around the edge. The watch represents humanities obsession with time. We cling so tightly to having set times, and certain times to do certain things. Yet, time is our cage. We get in trouble when we run over a certain time, when we are “late”, but we made up what “late” means and even what the certain time is. Time is a made up concept, and we humans trap ourselves with it. In the middle there is a doll that is held up to the box. She represents humanity in the general and the individual sense. She is wrapped up in a wire that splits, a proverbial crossroads. One headphone is unbroken and leads to the side with nature and the arts. This side is labeled “right” which can mean either the side, or that it is correct. This represents that the path to nature and beauty is the right path, unbroken and leading to good things. The other head phone is broken, the wires showing, and leads to the technology. This represents the choice of technology over nature. The broken headphone is literally a broken end to the path and it is not the “right” choice. These headphones represent the choice a person has to make, and since the figure is wrapped up in the wire, it shows how mankind is wrapped up in choices. You are trapped by the choices you make. To help make the decision, the doll wears glasses. The middle part of the glasses covers the eyes of the doll, blinding her. The plastic pieces of the glasses are covering her ears, deafening her. On the lens of the glasses, there is a heart. The heart in literature is the center of emotion and the soul of the person. By being on the glasses, this shows that the person is using their heart to see. The person is unable to rely on their primary senses of sight and hearing, and has to use their heart to see the right path. The title “Permanent Visitor” was created by blacking out other letters of a ticket to the Holocaust museum. By putting the words “permanent” and “visitor” together, one gets an eerie feeling, especially considering where the ticket was originally from. A visitor can leave the place where they are, but permanent means that there is no change. Permanent Visitor is referencing life and the choices that make up life. You can’t leave, and once your choices are made, you can’t back out. You can only accept the choices you have made and prepare for the consequences.