Apparently, Danny Scheible has been very busy. The Sacramento artist, creator of a new art technique called Tapigami, is currently exhibiting his large-scale installations at the California Museum, using various kinds of tape, newspaper, wire hangers, and other materials to create elaborate art pieces.
I visited the museum this week and witnessed Scheible’s Tapigami masterpiece, aptly labeled “Tape City.” It was enormous. I took a few minutes trying to take it all in, feasting my eyes upon all of the intricate details of every structure and creature in Scheible’s manufactured, whimsical world. It was like something out of a Tim Burton movie set, part Nightmare Before Christmas, part Alice in Wonderland. But it wasn’t until I tried to make a Tapigami structure of my own that I could genuinely appreciate the time and energy that it took to create an art piece that massive and detailed. My failed attempt at creating a small Tapigami structure sat sadly on a table next to many other failed attempts, despite the huge video screen for museum patrons that demonstrates how to achieve your own Tapigami structures, along with large panels providing detailed instructions along the wall. Going back for a second look at Tape City, I was awestruck at the thousands of individual pieces that made up the exhibit. The perfection of each segment and the creativity apparent in each crafted creature was enviable, and I can only imagine the amount of time it took to create such a wonderful work of art.
The Tapigami exhibit at the California Museum runs through December 10. As an extra bonus, the Museum Store is currently selling Tapigami jewelry, lamps, and books, for those who want to take a little piece of this fascinating art home for themselves.
More information available at http://www.californiamuseum.org/california-creates-tapigami.
Words Lorraine Gonzalez