There’s a segment on the Ren and Stimpy show—a commercial for a toy called “Log.” It’s a log. The commercial tells you about all the fabulous possibilities for fun with a chunk of wood, i.e. you can dress it up in various costumes (cheerleader log! jock log! Civil War log!), you can throw it down the stairs, or at your sibling. The whole thing comes complete with a jingle: It’s Log, it’s Log, it’s Log, it’s better than bad, it’s good." It’s this particular mixture of smart stupidity and nostalgia that’s right at the heart of David Ireland’s installation.

In part, this is because most of the work