Soldered brass, 2010.
A satirical tabletop assemblage in soldered brass that critiques sensation-driven journalism, surveillance, and optical distortion. Structured like an antique box camera or projection lantern mounted on a baluster-shaped pedestal, the sculpture incorporates a large glass-lensed aperture, a tilted dish-like horn or receiver, and side-mounted eye and ear motifs. By styling the apparatus as a monumental recording device, the work equates the historical rise of “yellow journalism” with modern media consumption, where sensationalism and spectacle replace objective truth.
The central glass lens acts as a staring eye, while the tilted horn atop the housing suggests an antenna capturing ambient noise or broadcast signals. Through its title and mechanical form, A Golden Age of Yellow Media subverts the nobility of a “golden age,” warning against an era dominated by predatory observation, amplified rumors, and manufactured outrage.
