“Baxter” is a fully functional industrial robot that introduces the exhibition to visitors. I designed an environment that collapses and protects the assets during transport and prevents visitors from entering the display once it’s set up on site. This was at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
This is a composite of four stock photos I created for the exhibition’s 2019 makeover. My intention, whenever I had the opportunity, was to include women and people of color in a show that almost exclusively featured older white male historical figures. I also like to add Easter eggs… like the name on her helmet.
The 1980s… a decade that taste forgot. My set decorations, except for the hideous shag carpet, all help tell a story. Everything in the room (except the ironing board) has been replaced by a chip in your smartphone. The left panel features a real chip, and the demo dims the lights while “Bob’s day” plays out with music, sound effects, narration and voiceover acting. Items like the answering machine, VCR, telephone and takeout menu are individually lit on cue. I wrote the script and produced the lighting choreography.
The right panel makes comparisons with how many CDs, photos, and movies are contained in a smartphone versus 1983 technology, which is spotlighted when visitors depress a button. I formatted period commercials with a 4:3 aspect ratio mask, and gutted a period TV set to accommodate a 19” flat screen TV. They played on a loop without sound. Visitors of all ages love this display. There are artifacts like camera flashbulbs and a rolodex that parents explain to their curious children and grandchildren.