1. There is a colorful tree standing in the middle of a McDonald’s bag, which gives an environmental sensitivity to the whole piece. It is very softly lit through what looks to be a tree-shaped cut out at the top. The yellow, orange and red colored print from the bag create the effect of a tree transforming colors, while the blue print creates the tree trunk. With its mellow colors, it makes for a very idyllic scene in autumn. The tree is left attached to the bag to appear as if it has taken root there. The way it is meticulously cut creates a shadow box in which the sculpture cut out from the container is shaped by the container itself, effectively challenging what is on the exterior to its interior.
2. Instead of the greasy food we’d expect to find inside of a McDonald’s bag, we find a tree diorama inside – a very delicate and intricate display in an unusual setting. It combines detritus from urban life – which could allude to consumerism and globalism (this idea of one-use receptacles that are quickly disposed of afterwards) with a more natural element of life, which gives what is usually considered a disposable object in our society a new element of beauty. The way it is cut presents a new perspective on a mundane object, which perhaps shows that there is always more than what meets the eye. Meaning can always be found in the things we leave behind. In Teruya’s piece, he attempts to return the consumer product back to its origins.
