Franchise Fever – Variety 2021

Curator: Welcome. Let's consider "Franchise Fever – Variety," a mixed-media piece created by Robert Sammelin in 2021. It is an intriguing, meticulously crafted tableau. What are your immediate thoughts? Editor: Wow, it’s…a party! A very self-aware party, at that. I’m seeing almost a cheeky wink to the audience—like, “Yeah, we KNOW.” It reminds me of a clever high school mural where the art club tried to incorporate everything. Is that the point? Curator: Partially. Sammelin appears to be playing with the notion of collective cultural consciousness. Consider the clustering of archetypes – heroes, villains, even sidekicks from vastly different franchises, yet instantly recognizable. It's almost a cultural map, rendered in caricature. Editor: I’m picking up on the caricature, which sort of dials up the humor, doesn’t it? The artist uses it to sort of flatten everyone to the same plane of…merchandise-ability? Is that too cynical? Curator: Not at all. There's a fascinating tension here. The use of the comic book style elevates the characters, imbuing them with almost mythic status, but also commercializes them simultaneously. Note how familiar poses and facial expressions trigger our collective memories. Editor: Exactly. I'm immediately thrown back to Saturday morning cartoons and crowded theaters. Look at Spongebob nestled between more ‘serious’ characters…the absurdity of it sparks joy. What I find interesting, too, is the emotional resonance. How do these icons reflect, not just our cultural tastes, but our anxieties and hopes? Curator: That's brilliantly observed. Think of the longing for justice embodied by Batman, or the ever-relevant struggles of the X-Men, woven into the symbolic weight each character has accumulated over decades. Sammelin has captured them for us at this current point in time. Editor: So true. It’s not just art; it's a mirror reflecting the zeitgeist. Sammelin’s “Franchise Fever” has created a conversation piece. A bit irreverent, and very engaging. Curator: Precisely. It leaves us contemplating the ever-shifting landscape of pop culture and its powerful effect on shaping our collective imagination. Editor: Yeah, I think I just realized I need a therapy session to unpack my feelings about Baby Yoda being next to Arya Stark. Thanks for that, Robert!