A woman is in her kayak on Crystal Lake, at dawn before anything else has had a chance to stir the water or cut through the early morning silence. She paddles around the lake for an hour or more, having uninterrupted time alone with nature and her own thoughts.
Eli Robb is a professor of film, digital media, performance, and video at
Lake Forest College. Originally from California, Robb received a BA from the University of California at Berkeley, and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute in 2003. Robb's main interest is video and photography. He has had numerous exhibits and recent performances in Chicago and the Chicago land area.
One of his public demonstrations is entitled Gone Hunting in which he goes on a hunting trip in the bustling metropolis of downtown Chicago. He carries a 12-foot bow and 9-foot arrow, both created from found materials. Dressed in green and bright orange, Robb goes unnoticed by passersby on a crisp spring morning; the ground is still covered by snow as he tracks through the crowded streets to Grant Park and begins his futile hunt. The sound of the city is mixed with the beating of drums (as if he were going on an African Safari hunt) to the sounds of calm streams as Robb enters the park and prepares us for the hunt. After creeping slowly upon a bird, his ill-fated shot with his oversized arrow hardly disrupts the serenity of the park. The silliness of the stunt keeps the viewer engaged as if he were watching a PBS nature special. After a few attempts, the defeated hunter leaves the park as the increased beat of the music signals that the hunt is over.
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