Play in the Work of Carla Harryman

Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/articles/t435gd727

Abstract

“Play” in many senses is prevalent in the work of Carla Harryman. Some of the ways in which it occurs include the mixing of genres, light- hearted experimentation, specific references to child’s play, the crea- tion of games, and the use of the play as genre. Harryman’s work plays with play. This contributes to a sense of absurdity and to her ability to address theory within a creative arena. The playful nature of much of her work allows Harryman to deal seriously with the irrational, to chal- lenge conventional expectations of meaning, genre, and narrative, and to approach theory as a creative endeavor without abandoning aesthetic pleasure.

Creator