Tiger Strikes Asteroid LA presents Encounters, an exhibition by Makenzie Goodman & Adam Stacey about individuals in the Mojave Desert who claim to have come into contact with UFOs. The series is an ongoing collaboration that was started at Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency in the fall of 2019. 

Encounters addresses a belief system associated with the American desert and the lore of shared spiritual experiences that are pervasive throughout history. While science provides ample data to suggest the statistical likelihood of extraterrestrial life, the theories of those who claim to have experienced this first-hand are considered fringe. This installation aims to question traditional values, shared experiences and belief systems, while holding space for multiple perspectives.

The show features an 8mm film of first hand experiences in the Mojave Desert, black & white photographic documentation, and ceramic sculptures based on the possibility of intergalactic travel and communion between Earth and the extraterrestrial. The objects range from wormholes, models of spacecrafts and the first scientifically observed interstellar traveler.

Intriguingly, this aptly named traveler, ʻOumuamua, is the first known object of its type possessing significant hyperbolic excess velocity, indicating it did not originate in the Solar System. Theoretical Physicist Avi Loeb, Professor of Science at Harvard University, has suggested that it could be a product of extraterrestrial technology, but no definitive conclusions have been reached so far.

Goodman and Stacey’s collaboration is thoughtfully created to encompass various viewpoints. They apply an artist's lens to the scientific method, and leave space for the audience to draw their own conclusions. 

As a supplement to the show, a limited edition, 32-page risograph of images and conversational text from this ongoing project will be available for purchase. Encounters by Makenzie Goodman is Issue #6 and a part of a year-long project called Dodeca Meters, published by National Monument Press.

________

Makenzie Goodman works in photography, video, and installation to question belief systems associated with place. She considers the history and mythology of an area to explore the way we as “humans” interpret and interact with the spaces we inhabit and what that imposed anthropocentric relationship means for the land. Makenzie received her MFA from Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California and is an Assistant Professor at Appalachian State University in North Carolina.

Makenzielgoodman.com
@makenzelyn

Adam Stacey is a sculptor who works with ceramics and various other materials. His artwork examines human impact and relationship to place. He received his MFA from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2014 and currently works as a lecturer in Art in foundations at Appalachian State University.
cargocollective.com/adamstacey
@astace81