The Puffin And The Playground

New York’s Puffin Room is playing host to ‘The Playground,’ a collaboration between 20 international artists exploring the struggle of giving up one’s childhood in order to jump headlong into that frightening abyss that is adulthood. Opening on January 17th, the established art space will be transformed into an idyllic wonderland designed to inspire audiences to delve into their subconscious fears of growing up.

Including works by innovative artists Anton Glamb, Dana L. Goldstein, Gordon Stevenson, Jason Mathew Lee, Pablo Power, Scott Shannon, Robert S. L. Waltzer, Tim Diet, Will Robbins and Dazed & Confused’s own contributing photographer Ben Rayner, the exhibition is set to be a visceral treat. The artworks will be displayed in forms including installations, photography, sculpture and paintings as the Puffin Room continues in its endeavor to present the works of fresh and culturally aware artists. In a tribute to the glory and imagination of childhood, installations of little girls nightstands and common household items will take on the element of the surreal as they are cast in unusual colours. Handcrafted teepees and forts will adorn the space in a throwback to days spent playing cowboys and Indians, while photographs will be transformed into giant puzzles as The Puffin Room becomes a child’s dream amusement hideaway.

‘The Playground’ title is synonymous with the theme of the exhibition, as it provides an escape from the mundane and a portal to a world of pure fantasy, where, as in childhood, anything is possible. The first permanent playground in New York was built in 1903, mere blocks away from the modern Puffin Room, and has since been regarded as a symbol of imaginative dreaming and youthful abandon. Designed by Jillian Leigh Federman and Tanya Arakara Rosenstein of HanaLeigh Productions with photographer Dana Lauren Goldstein, ‘The Playground’ is a must for those in New York, and especially for those who have only surrendered to venture a very tentative step into adulthood, and who believe that growing old does not necessarily mean growing up.

The Playground opens at The Puffin Room, 435 Broome Street, New York, 9-6pm with DJ SeMeN SPeRmS