A-Frame House. Lambda Print. 30x45 inches.
Barn. Lambda Print. 30x45 inches.
Bedroom. Lambda Print. 30x45 inches.
Firehouse. Lambda Print. 30x45 inches.
Little Kiddies Room. Lambda Print. 30x45 inches.
Log Cabin. Lambda Print. 30x45 inches.
Moon Base Alpha. Lambda Print. 30x45 inches.
Polly's Boutique. Lambda Print. 30x45 inches.
Rainbow Tent. Lambda Print. 30x45 inches.
Restaurant. Lambda Print. 30x45 inches.
Sky Commander Rescue Center. Lambda Print. 30x45 inches.
Starship. Lambda Print. 30x45 inches.
Woodsley House. Lambda Print. 30x45 inches.
Fright Zone. Lambda Print. 30x45 inches.
Dagobah. Lambda Print. 30x45 inches.
Veterinary Hospital. Lambda Print. 30x45 inches.
About the Playsets series
In Steve Nyktas’ series Playsets we stand in the middle of an impossible scene. Through the positioning of the camera and lighting techniques, Nyktas helps us see how he remembers playing with sets just like these – like we are there standing inside the scene. A little bit of plastic, some bright paint and stickers can trigger our imagination enough to transport us to another place. In a way, Nyktas helps us reenact his version of childhood play and yet we bring our own story to mind. Play and imagination encourage us to ignore irrelevant materials in our periphery and build upon existing tropes: a cowboy, a soldier, a housewife. But is play always connected to a world of make-believe? Nyktas’ works reminds us how sometimes in art we might, for a moment, overlook the frame, the wall and the gallery and become drawn into a world of illusion and make-believe.
(Text written by FARB curator, Julie Rudder)