Surveying Desire XIII: Observatory

This gallery was reminiscent of varied structures: operating theatres, Shaker barns, and observatories. The central platform was constructed to mirror the floorplan; one climbed it to use the telescope to read small horoscope texts in the upper windows, the perimeters of which were blacked out. The circular pattern on the platform was a diagram for siting one’s house to maximum advantage based on latitude and astronomical data. The circular texts on the walls were drawn from diverse sources that overlapped astronomy and desire, ranging from a romance novel to astronomer John Hershel, and were populated by tiny people on little platforms. The curtains articulated the catwalk ambulatory, and were covered with hundreds of personal ads for romance. Central ideas were the telescope as a tool of unrequited desire—creating the illusion that one’s object was within reach—and the relation of seeing to possessing.