In Captain’s Lair, Frinnell’s project made in 1995 for the web, members explore the interior of the captain’s cabin aboard a pirate ship by clicking through interrelated images of a patently artificial environment. Grinnell indicates where to click next with handwritten arrows and x’s that recall treasure maps as well as coach’s strategies. As one loops around and backtracks through the project, investigative and associative experiences take on increasing overall importance. Like a nosy guest or a stealthy detective, one pries into the compartments of the captain’s writing desk, sifting through his objects, papers and images to fabricate one’s own version of this suggestive situation.
Grinnell creates fantastic pseudo-narratives, taking a hybrid approach which involves sculpture, installation, performance and video. He leaves clues and bits of evidence for viewers to interpret and synthesize themselves. Among the various tropes he adopts are the artifice of theme parks, the bad acting of demonstration tapes, and the morphing of history to suit the needs of entertainment.