Korey Nelson, Student Work

No Country for Old Men

Gray and Brown cardstock paper, binding glue, wood, metal wire, string, masking tape

5" x 15" x 3"

I wanted to convey the hard reality of existence and the incredible thematic contrast the movie has. The outside of the box is a stiff, plain shell; simple and straightforward. I used this aspect to convey some of the meaning delivered by the movie's antagonist, Chigurh. The manic and determinist philosophy the antagonist arms himself with is crucial to the film's thematic structure.

The inside of the box is split down the center with objects on either side. The concept expressed here is that while any one object may fall into a separate category, the objects are still a part of the collective whole, the box. The duality that separates us is invented in the wake of the prospect that we exist wholistically under one category: the box. The box represents existence, our life, and no matter what side of the coin your fate ends up on, you have still become a physical manifestation of existence.

The items inside the box represent multiple characters and ideals throughout the film. The use of wooden and natural material is a call back to the natural and rigid landscape and setting of the film, making use of a desert environment and the determinist philosophy such an environment harbors. The string represents the predetermined duration of life. The interpretations from these items are endless and their simplicity lends itself to the greater message of the piece: despite our unknowing involvement, we all participate in existence and the determinist vision that fragments the world as we know it is all-encompassing and, through simplicity, explains everything.