2018
Gumball machine, urethane castings of the artists wisdom teeth, and coins provided by the viewer
Drawing on imagery from her childhood, Urban created a wisdom dispensing machine to explore the spread of knowledge through families. The artist is often caught in a position of being the advice giver for all members of her family, an arduous role. To reduce the weight on her back, Urban has compiled a plethora of advice to be accessed as needed.
The wisdom teeth serve as placeholders for tidbits of information collected as Urban has found her way into adulthood, and the machine is a means for this exchange of knowledge to take place. The viewer can purchase a tooth for a quarter.
Things to do with your wisdom tooth:
Cherish it forever
Give it to a sibling
Collect them all
Sell it to the tooth fairy for a quarter
Sell it to the tooth fairy for a quarter and use that quarter to buy another tooth
Share it with a friend
Throw it away if you don’t like it
Keep it in your pocket for good luck
Show it to random people like a child would
Etc.
