Google can be used for many things, the basis for an art exhibition isn’t one area that naturally comes to mind. A new art exhibition in Sydney asks Google who and what is “completely rooted” and displays the results.
“Completely rooted” for those unfamiliar with the phrase is Australian slang for being in an unfortunate position, being tired (as in I’ve been running all day and I’m completely rooted) or may have sexual connotations. The formal meaning may refer to a belief structure (completely rooted in Christian tradition).
The Sydney Morning Herald has the story:
To find inspiration for their works, 12 artists typed the words “completely rooted” into a Google search engine. From page two of the results, each artist selected one site as their sole inspiration.
This year’s phrase came to the gallery’s owner, Lew Palaitis, as he was drinking beer in Hardware’s storage room. “We’d been kicking around a lot of really stupid phrases and I was feeling a bit despondent,” he said. “I only suggested ‘completely rooted’ as a joke but then we realised it would actually be a really catchy tag.”
The inspired art includes the severed head of Tom Cruise and a skywriter writing Jesus in the sky.
I’m not sure whether Google will soon become a common tool for artists seeking inspiration, but it’s certainly a new use for everyone’s favorite search engine. Highlights from the exhibition can be viewed online here.