In April 2003, in response to the invasion of Iraq, a group of seven Maine artists formed the 3 Monkeys Collective, which presented the installation DOMESTIC INSECURITY. The original installation was exhibited in the window of an abandoned department store in Waterville, Maine and went on to be included in the New England / New Talent Fitchburg Biennial of 2004.
2004, mixed media, H 14′ x W 17′ x D 16′
The artists of the Collective used toys, food, television, magazines and interior décor to create an identifiable and ‘homey’ tableau.
Along with her collaborators, Tamar’s goal was to present an installation that would point out the absurdity of the policies of Homeland Security and the rampant neglect of domestic realities in favor of an illegal and immoral war, while satirizing the pervasive militarism and fear upon which the Bush administration hoped to base its support.
Above all, the Collective’s goal was to do all this with satire, irony and a sense of sardonic humor.
Tamar Etingen 