The Second Lives exhibition shows that little everyday materials can be used to create something much more than the ordinary object itself. Each piece of the exhibition has its own story that varies across the entire two floors of magnificent artwork at the Museum of Art and Design. The artists used bits and pieces of single objects and combined them to form pieces that are unbelievable to look at. Every bit that was used showed great importance because it made the overall piece seem effortless to create. These bits also may have an important part in relating a message to the audience.

A piece that stood out was entitled “A Mixture of Frailties” created by an English artist named Susie McMurray. Her piece was an almost eight feet tall ornamented wedding dress made of yellow latex dish washing rubber gloves that were turned inside out so the entire piece was white just like a wedding dress. It was laid out as no modern day wedding dress but a twist on a traditional dress with the train being extended all around bottom instead of just the back. It took the shape of a woman’s body that is strong and resistant as latex gloves yet the material is not heavy but free-flowing and light. Her message was to show the daily labors of women in the kitchen can be a beautiful thing even though very stressful sometimes.

Another amazing piece that shows the importance of every piece in the artwork is the “Quarter Lounge” created by an American artist named Johnny Swing. This piece was created just last year when the economy was beginning to plummet and money was beginning to become used very carefully instead of the splurging that America is accustomed to. This artist uses quarters to create a comfy seat fit for a normal sized adult person. The craftsmanship is impeccable because the piece is so smooth and one would have to look closely to see that the entire chair is actually made of American quarters. Every quarter was important to this piece because any one there would be a missing piece and the finished piece would not have looked the same. His message was conveying the value of money. All the loose change in cars, on the street and the couches at home when times were good in the country can be turned into great pieces worth more than the real value of the currency.

The artwork that epitomizes the relationship between the part and the whole was one made by an English artist named Hew Locke entitled “Golden Horde”. No other piece uses so many different objects and combines them into one truly great sight for the eyes. This one demands attention with its shiny and huge appearance. The artist uses several toys such as chains, jewelry, skulls and baby dolls to create objects such as ship. At first glance, the movie “The Pirates of the Caribbean” comes to mind with all the life like treasures that shines from the piece. Within the structure of the ship made of all the jewels over flowing from the top and cascading the sides are the dolls that appear to be warriors hiding from combat. This was odd because baby dolls are usually not used in such context. The artist is relaying that during the time of his journey from Guyana, his homeland to England, this is how the journey felt. He was off to a new land but there was fear of what might be on the other side. Yet to be part of a being in a new place that might be better than the one before gives a sense of liberty from the touch times of the previous place. All the jewels represent the seeking of wealth that might surround the baby warriors when they get to the new land. Such a piece explains so much with these common objects.

It is clearly recognized that every bit of a finished art piece has a meaning to it. It was placed where it was for a reason which is to tell a story of a social, political, economic or a combination of these situation. Pieces are important to make sense of a greater picture. It is like a puzzle where if one piece is missing then it seems as if the entire picture is ruined.