Such childhood performance art pieces were a favorite of mine growing up. Not only does this image represent my interested in physical texture (child as the audience- soft, inviting sheets juxtaposed against the hard, cold wood of the floor) but the image also calls forth the memory of texture (viewer as the audience- remembered warmth and comfort of childhood blanket forts). The latter can be harnessed by the artist to evoke a variety of emotion responses from audience members (in this case warmth, nostalgia, sense of escape or security, etc).
Additionally, the child's captured pose as he carefully parts the opening sheet to see the interior of the fort as well as his hidden face both function to create a sense of mystery surrounding the image. Personally, it feeds into my curiosity and provokes a slew of questions (What's inside the fort? Who built it? Who is this kid? Why isn't he at school?). All these questions keep me focused on and interested in the image.
nice image Nick! i do love the random but pleasing visual relationships between the printed sheets and the low but spreading structure. i agree that the positioning of boy at the entrance, effectively blocking our view, creates a great mood. for me, structurally and functionally this form relates to the archetypes of an animal den, or a cave, or even a womb. all places we might like to "re-visit" in our lifetimes.
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