A tree with a built-in urinal is not something seen every day, even in the art world. But senior studio art major Phillip Altstatt’s installation exhibit features one &- and a chair-eating floor.

An installation exhibit typically takes a space and transforms it completely into something else.

“I decided to utilize the entire room so that viewers could actually walk into the art,” Altstatt said. “That way they can actually be a part of the art rather than just observe my work.”

For his exhibit, “Disconnection from the Natural World,” Altstatt and his wife Amy laid more than 300 square feet of tile to transform the entire Witt Gallery at Sacramento State.

“He actually handmade some of the tiles, which was probably the most difficult task of the whole exhibit,” Amy Altstatt said. “Once we were able to find a medium that would hold together, we finally got it.”

After being inspired by a vivid dream, Phillip Altstatt said he felt compelled to create his vision and showcase his creativity.

“In my dream, I was literally standing there looking at this chair sinking into the tiles,” Altstatt said. “I want the viewers to see exactly what I saw.”

Another source of inspiration for Altstatt comes from philosophical books during his high school years.

“The main message I got from the books I read was that we have all of these programs to counteract the fact that our world is ultimately falling apart,” he said. “We are a river flowing in the wrong direction and we use certain programs or barriers to slow the process down.”

With the tiles and sinking chair, Altstatt said his message is to show viewers just how unstable society can be.

“We sit on the chair instead of the earth and we put shoes on our feet to keep from actually touching the ground,” Altstatt said. “We have all these little barriers that disconnect us from the natural world.”

His ultimate message, Altstatt said, is that the ground beneath us can slip away at any moment, exposing just how unbalanced society is.

To continue with the disconnection theme, Altstatt said his urinal tree shows another barrier between society and the Earth.

“Bathrooms are something that didn’t always exist,” Altstatt said. “It’s just something else we created to distance ourselves from the ground beneath us.”

To actually see the life-size urinal tree and impressive tile work, students are encouraged to visit Altstatt’s free exhibit in the Witt Gallery.

“This is an opportunity for students of other disciplines and other art students to meet me and see the work that I create,” Altstatt said.

Art professor Evri Kwong said these free art exhibits put on by Sac State are a nice way for students from all disciplines to see the work of talented artists.

“Art allows people to truly express themselves in a creative manner,” Kwong said. “Students don’t have to be art majors to appreciate the work created or to be inspired to use art in their own discipline.”

Not only do these art shows inspire viewers, Kwong said, these students exhibits are also important for students to meet people outside of their discourse or people they would not normally see in their classes.

“These free receptions allow students to mingle and meet other members of the Sac State community,” Kwong said. “Many students don’t know about these great art showcases.”

Altstatt agrees with Kwong.

“There may be a musician on campus who may write phenomenal music that we may never hear because we are so involved with our own majors,” Altstatt said. “I’m just hoping to get my artwork out there and have people see my passion.”

Erin Rogers can be reached at [email protected]