In the interactive installation, Fearsome Fable – Tolerable Truth, Indiana-based artist Tom Torluemke tells two distinct and contrasting stories of the earth’s future. Viewers are greeted by a contiguous mural of scenes depicting overpopulation and its resulting neglect and abuse of our natural resources. By physically engaging with and turning the mural panels, gallery visitors can change the view from a dilapidated wasteland on one side – to the reverse side’s colorful imagery of a brighter and healthier tomorrow.
In these large-scale panels painted in a utilitarian, representational style reminiscent of WPA muralists, Torluemke makes a powerful statement on the wasteful nature of our relationship with the earth and envisions what an alternate future could be if we chose to embrace it.
Fearsome Fable – Tolerable Truth debuted in 2013 at Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago. The Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts proudly presents this 10th-anniversary exhibition.
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