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“(As a boy) I had free access to television, which of course goes hand in hand with pop culture. TV has been my biggest influence; it started about the year I was born, and I’m a perfect example of what it can do to you—for better or for worse.” —Mickey McGowan, 1993 The Unknown Museum has prominently featured the television. Mickey McGowan utilized hollowed-out sets as enclosures for many of his dioramas. He assembled stacks of televisions in various outdoor yard installations. At times, McGowan adjusted the signal of a working television placed in an indoor exhibit so all that appeared on the screen was a solitary horizontal line. He mixed jingles from early TV commercials onto audio tapes that played music and excerpts from movies, sitcoms, serials, and newscasts from the era. Audio volume rose and fell in a constant soundtrack; the “Perfect Moment” occurred when a direct connection was made—for example, if the Rice Krispies jingle randomly played while a visitor was looking at the ad characters Snap, Crackle, and Pop in the kitchen area of the museum. A very special thank you to Mickey McGowan for making this exhibition possible. See “Recollections… from the Unknown Museum” on display, post-security, in Terminal 2. https://bit.ly/Unknown-Museum 📸: Rabbit Ears 1986 Mickey McGowan (b. 1946) television antenna, plush and plastic toy L2023.0301.002a-b Television antennas 1950s–60s various makers L2023.0301.003.01–.13 Upside-Down TV 1978 Mickey McGowan (b. 1946) Mill Valley, California R2023.0301.001.039
This image was posted on July 31, 2024.