Ted Victoria’s Homecoming (2001)
Homecoming is a particularly important piece to Victoria because it is exactly what the name suggests. The Woolworth’s in Victoria’s hometown, he says, was once a place of great importance and learning for him. “I used to hang out in front of Woolworth’s. I love that building. I ate my first slice of pizza there,” he recalls. Years later, the store is abandoned and worn, a dessicating shadow of the place he once knew. Victoria decided to pay homage to the beloved building by setting up a projection piece there, which displayes his thriving sea-monkey colonies in vivid detail on every window and door. Passersby were equal parts thrilled and disturbed by the constant, frantic motion of hundreds of three foot long sea-monkeys in every opening. The critters twirl and play, reproduce, and die, all in clear view of anyone of the street. Though this unique kind of living projection art can creates a significantly different environment from that of a painting, Victoria still considers himself a painter. Says Victoria, “It’s still very much like painting for me. It’s instinctive and creative…I’m just not using any paint.”
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