“Play” in many senses is prevalent in the work of Carla Harryman.
Some of the ways in which it occurs include the mixing of genres, lighthearted
experimentation, specific references to child’s play, the creation
of games, and the use of the play as genre. Harryman’s work plays
with play. This contributes to a sense of absurdity and to her ability to
address theory within a creative arena. The playful nature of much of
her work allows Harryman to deal seriously with the irrational, to challenge
conventional expectations of meaning, genre, and narrative, and
to approach theory as a creative endeavor without abandoning aesthetic
pleasure.
