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Artist Dares Visitors to Stand Under Pointy Pitchforks Swinging from the Ceiling

Famous for his striking oil paintings, Hong Kong-based British artist Simon Birch has an impressive portfolio. For his newest project, The 14th Factory, Birch has taken his passion for artistic experimentation a step further by converting an entire Los Angeles warehouse into a large-scale show. This installation that has taken the local art scene by storm is The Crusher (The Talisman), a site-specific piece composed of 300 suspended pitchforks.

As one walks into the room that houses The Crusher, a visitor is welcomed by the downturned farming tools. Surrounded by decaying whitewashed walls and hung over a peeling concrete floor, the already disconcerting pitchfork installation is not set in the most pleasant setting.