Polaroid Post: Glamby the Deer

I took this Polaroid last fall when I was still in school– it’s hard to see, but behind all those dripping Polaroid chemicals there is a leaping, rhinestone encrusted deer. Last year when I was the editor of a literary review at DePauw, I took this Polaroid to introduce the art section of the book.

One thing I like about this photo is the fact that it’s a bit twisted from the messed up chemicals. Usually it really peeves me when my film doesn’t work correctly, but for this photo it fits. You see, this sculpture titled “Fits and Starts” created quite a bit of controversy at my school before I attended there. It was donated to the school in 2005 by a foundation– the foundation paid $60,000 for the sculpture. Opinions divided over the glittery deer, but a few students took their opinions too far and vandalized ol’ Glamby. (They sawed off his antlers, among other things.) Professors and students exploded over the immaturity and intolerance of the art-haters and there were such strong feelings about the incident that the legend of Glamby still prowled the dorms and halls of the university by the time I got there in 2007. There’s even a documentary. (Check out the screen shots of Facebook from the time. Crazy!)

Somehow the craziness of my camera and the unpredictable nature of the Impossible Project film captured the essence of Glamby’s fame and infamy. Sure, as always with art, you can argue that I’m seeing what I want to see. Tea leaves and all that nonsense. But accident or not, this photo is symbolic of what that bedazzled deer means to everyone who knows the story.

*Photo taken with my Polaroid SX-70.