Shelf (Mutton Chops) with Unpainted Donkey 2003

Jason Rhoades made this, *Shelf (Mutton Chops) with Unpainted Donkey*, and what strikes me is how he uses everyday materials – shelves, neon lights, and some unpainted donkeys. It’s like he grabbed whatever was lying around to make something amazing. The neon lights are candy-colored, and they’re all wired up, exposed. It’s not trying to hide anything. The way he lets the materials be themselves feels punk, like early Mike Kelley, but in a completely different zone. There’s a playfulness to the color, but then you see these unpainted donkeys just sitting there, and it makes you wonder. It is like he’s asking, “What makes something art?” Or “What do we expect from art?” I feel like he would want us to bring our own interpretations, and that’s the beauty of art, right? It’s never just one thing.