Canyon offers more than pretty view
It took seven months of planning, seven tons of cardboard, one ton of wood and two and a half weeks of hard work — not to mention construction help from architecture students at Rice and the University of Houston — to craft the latest art installation on display at Rice Gallery. Rip Curl Canyon , the brainchild of architects Benjamin Ball and Gaston Nogues, opened last Thursday to a full gallery.
The raw surfaces of die-cut cardboard and bare wood give Canyon an unimpressive and unfinished look, at least at first glance. Only an overwhelming facade of pillars and walls can be seen from the ground level. However dismissing the work after only a cursory evaluation would be unwise: Far from the typical look-but-don’t-touch exhibit, Canyon must be interacted with to be fully appreciated.
From the top level of the installation, Canyon seems like a completely different structure than from the entrance to the gallery. The structural wooden pillars disappear, and the undulating cardboard surface resembles a topographic map of a small mountain range. While the five ribbons of stacked cardboard do not connect, it is still possible to navigate across them — a task that can prove tricky. The architects themselves have suggested that students come to the gallery to do homework or hang out, and the uneven terrain lends itself beautifully to sitting or reclining.
Underneath the cardboard roof are benches, counters and warm-toned lights placed among the frame supports. It feels like a shaded wood devoid of greenery. Nearer to the back wall of the gallery, as the space below the structure opens up, it is easy to imagine a group of students milling around.
After a few minutes of adjustment, most visitors will feel right at home on or beneath Rip Curl Canyon. Although this installation is not instantly gratifying, it will reward those who take the time to appreciate the raw beauty of its unfinished cardboard and wood. The confrontational entrance forces viewers to interact with the structure before they can take away any meaning from it. Ball and Nogues intended to create a space where, as Nogues said, “People couldn’t walk in and not engage with it somehow.” They have succeeded.
Like an amusement park ride, there is a minimum height requirement of about three feet to enter the Canyon.
“Going up on this thing, it’s like a ski area,” Ball said. “You jump up there, you’d better be sure you’re able to handle it.”
the Rice Thresher/ Thresher Editorial Staff
A short climb to the top of Rip Curl Canyon gives the visitor a completely different perspective on the installation.
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