The group tries to explain their failures, but fails on account of failing to fully explain their experiences, and in doing so, succeeds in the best way they could have hoped, by failing. The End.
P.s. We are unicorns!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Photos of the empty site
These are the only ones I have of the site before it was changed by us, I though we could either have the two portrait photos, or the two landscape photo?
Coincidence, Secrets, & Myth
Dear Friends,
I have been charged with the task of summing up our final aims for our group project. The best way I felt to do this was in the form of a letter. I am sure my perspective is limited to my experience of the project and that there are valuable insights that you four have gained from it that I will inevitable leave out, but I will do my best to express what I know of our common intent.
There is no doubt for me that this social experiment of sorts has been a success, if not in the ways we originally envisioned. We set out to start a conversation through media. What brought us together was a pigeonhole assessment of our work that brought to light a common interest in the preciousness and importance of everyday life. We were team banal. We, each in our own way, recognized art’s capacity to venerate, communicate, and shift our experience of the ‘everyday’, and we were interested in using the ‘everyday’ as a platform for communication. Site specificity, at the inception of this project, was about the inescapable, yet seldom recognized nuance of public space. Through this space we were interested in making visible (and vulnerable) artefacts of basic personal experience, and therefore to start a dialogue with each other and the general public inspired by a cacophony of personal perspectives. I don’t think any of us foresaw that such an endeavour would foster such a great sense of intimacy between the five of us.
The project experienced a shift. Turmoil in the group as to how to define and capsulate the project and the necessity of encouragement and perseverance through great spaces of doubt and estranged worry meant that each of us had to let go of our particular agendas for the sake of a common good. For us, Art became an act of faith. Doubts, instead of being resolved through a structured way of being together, facilitated a bond that negated their need for resolution. The project ceased to be about the space, or what was in it, but about the narrative flowering up from or efforts to communicate through media. The result is a project that talks a great deal about intimacy and communication, but is actually impossible to communicate. The work, instead of being a set of discreet objects or specific acts within a space, is the community of five, our relationship to each other. We are unicorns, hoorah!
In this way we have made a work that talks about the [quotidian] divide between an experience and an assumed audience in the art context, and the doomed efforts to express what has manifested as a closed circuit bond. We are not elitists; this project was always open to whoever wanted to participate. I feel sure it was only out of necessity that the five of us committed to this social experiment. Nevertheless, together we share the limitations of methodology that can never truly articulate our experience. We are interested in failing publicly then, as a presentation of some sort is required of us. Through a banal and mass communicate medium that asserts the desubjectification inherent in efforts to present individual experiences to a public, we have created a personal catalogue that means more to us than anyone else.
I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have spent this time with all of you. I have learned a lot. Not only that, we had a fucking good time. Your individual passions and awarenesses have fed and nourished my own practice, and helped to shape my understanding of relational art. I think you all are the bee’s knees and before I get gushy I will stop typing.
Much love
Bet.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Bruno
My name is Bruno and my favorite tool is time because it passes like a straight plantation. My favorite material is the rod for obvious reasons. I like how I can feel normal sometimes, like when piece has turned out well and it encourages caresses from the public, a pattern emerges: Do well and get touched. I do things exactly as I was taught, of course. Finally, my favorite colour would have to be orange for no damn reason.
rebeccas Q's and A's
My Favorite tool is my brain. Without it I am nothing and can do nothing. It is my everything. My favorite material is lettuce because of its temporary nature. The best thing I like about what I do is laughing, being happy makes me feel all warm inside, and not to mention it will make me live longer. Hopefully forever. When I say that a piece has turned out really well, it usually means that I feel comfortable letting you see it, because I care to much about what other people think. Patterns don’t emerge in my work. I don’t like conforming to patterns. I don’t do anything differently to the way I was taught, I don’t know any other way. If I had to choose a favorite colour I would have to pick green, those beautiful earthy natural greens, like flax.
NEWSFLASH
Paul a 4th year student admitted to throwing out the lettuce animal/pig. He says it wasn't art motivated. He also claims that he ate it.
Jessica's Bio
My name is Jessica Lynne Kidd and my favourite tool is the library; knowledge is power. A material I thoroughly enjoy using is mdf custom board 4.75ml. I like finishing a project that has been in the pipelines for a while. When I think a piece has turned out well, that generally means it has been received well by general onlookers. My favourite colour used to be yellow when I was younger, I always wanted to own a yellow car. Now I haven't thought about it for a while, and I'd say I don't really have a favourite colour, I like em all.
Hannah's Bio
My favourite tool is humour because it brings people together, it breaks social boundaries and I like the feeling of people laughing at my jokes. My favourite materials are found rather than made. The thing I like the best about what I do is my smile. When I say that a piece has turned out really well I mean that it has become a happy accident. Patterns do not emerge in my work. There is no pattern in the way that I select materials; I do not select them, they select me. The thing that I do differently from the way I was taught is that I don’t give myself a grade point average because I don’t find it necessary. My favourite colour is green. I have considered that these qualitites apply to my work.
Bet's bio
Hello my name is Elizabet Elliott. My Favorite Tool is lemonade. It addresses the constant question of my thirst. My Favorite material is is probably my hair, or pocket lint, or maybe tree bark. These things make superior birds nests and are in abundance with constance. I Most Enjoy the happy accidents inherent in art making. A Piece has turned out well when it poses questions instead of dictating a reductive truth. The Patterns that emerge in my work are theoretical and adorable. I do not use student grade paint any more. My Favorite color is peuter. It is serious, effervescent, whimsical. I consider it of the utmost importance.
How to Write an Artist's Statement
How to Write an Artist's Statement
Your artist's statement can be a moving testament to your creativity and integrity. The expression of this commitment will vary, but the effectiveness of your artist's statement stems from the authority with which you write it. Our words "author" and "authority" come from the Latin root "augere," which means "to increase, to create, to promote." This implies that the notions of creation and promotion are compatible! The more I muse on the meaning of working from my authority, of being the author of my work and of my conduct, the more I understand that authentic communication about my work is a powerful tool for creative growth as well as for business success. The exercises in this section will get you centered and in touch with your own authority. When I write promotional materials for artists (or any kind of business) I always have the principal people involved do these exercises first. I use the words and phrases they generate to compose compelling artist's statements on their behalf. This way their creative authority is incorporated in the finished product. Think of your artist's statement as a nourishing stew. The rich flavors and inviting aroma will feed your spirit and summon wonderful people to your table. You'll want to make sure your stew is made from the freshest, finest ingredients and that it has been simmered and seasoned with care. Do this, and you will be proud to share your creative vision – your authority – with others. WRITING YOUR ARTIST'S STATEMENTYou'll need pencil and paper, a dictionary, and a thesaurus. STEP ONE: Assemble the Ingredients.1. Take five minutes and think about why you do what you do. How did you get into this work? How do you feel when work is going well? What are your favorite things about your work? Jot down short phrases that capture your thoughts. Don't worry about making sense or connections. The more you stir up at this point, the richer the stew. 2. Make a list of words and phrases that communicate your feelings about your work and your values. Include words you like, words that make you feel good, words that communicate your values or fascinations. Be loose. Be happy. Be real. Think of these as potential seasonings for your stew. You don't have to choose which ones to use just yet, so get them all out of the cupboard. 3. Answer these questions as simply as you can. Your answers are the meat and potatoes of your stew. Let them be raw and uncut for now.
4. Look at your word list. Add new words suggested by your answers to the questions above. 5. Choose two key words from your word list. They can be related or entirely different. Look them up in a dictionary. Read all the definitions listed for your words. Copy the definitions, thinking about what notions they have in common. Look your words up in a Thesaurus. Read the entries related to your words. Are there any new words that should be added to your word list? 6. Write five sentences that tell the truth about your connection to your work. If you are stuck, start by filling in the blanks below. When I work with__________ I am reminded that___________. I begin a piece by______________. I know a piece is done when__________________. When my work is going well, I am filled with a sense of _____________. When people see my work, I'd like them to ________________. STEP TWO: Filling the Pot.Write a three paragraph artist's statement. Keep your sentences authentic and direct. Use the present tense ("I am," not "I was," "I do," not "I did.") Be brave: say nice things about yourself. If you find that you falter, write three paragraphs about an artist whose work you admire. Then write about yourself as though you were an admiring colleague. As a rule, your artist's statement should be written in the first person. Refer to yourself with the pronouns "I, me, my." If this blocks you, write in the third person, then go back and change the pronouns as needed when you get to Step Four. Use the suggestions below to structure your statement. Write three to five sentences per paragraph. First paragraph. Begin with a simple statement of why you do the work you do. Support that statement, telling the reader more about your goals and aspirations. Second paragraph. Tell the reader how you make decisions in the course of your work. How and why do you select materials, techniques, themes? Keep it simple and tell the truth. Third paragraph. Tell the reader a little more about your current work. How it grew out of prior work or life experiences. What are you exploring, attempting, challenging by doing this work. STEP THREE: Simmering the Stew.Your artist's statement is a piece of very personal writing. Let it simmer overnight before your reread it. This incubation period will help give you the detachment necessary to polish the writing without violating your sense of integrity and safety. While your statement simmers, let your mind wander over the ingredients you assembled in Step One. Allow yourself to experience the truth of your creative experience. Marvel at the wealth of seasonings and abundance of vegetables you have at your disposal. Enjoy the realization that your work is grounded in real values and experience. If you think of things you might have left out of your statement, jot them down, but leave the statement alone. STEP FOUR: Taste and Correct the Seasonings.Read your statement out loud. Listen to the way the sounds and rhythms seem to invite pauses. Notice places where you'd like the sound or rhythm to be different. Experiment with sounding out the beats of words that seem to be missing until they come to mind. Do this several times until you have a sense of the musical potential of your statement. As you read your statement, some phrases will ring true and others false. Think about the ones that aren't on the mark and find the true statement lurking behind the false one. You may find that the truth is a simpler statement than the one you made. Or your internal censors may have kept you from making a wholehearted statement of your truth lest it sound self-important. Risk puffing yourself up as long as your claims are in line with your goals and values. Keep reading and revising your statement until you hear a musical, simple, authentic voice that is making clear and honest statements about your work. Refer to your word list and other Step One exercises as needed. By now your taste buds are saturated. You need a second opinion. Choose a trusted friend or professional to read your statement. Make it clear that you are satisfied with the ingredients on the whole, but you'd like an opinion as to seasoning. In other words, you alone are the authority for what is true about your work, but you'd like feedback on clarity, tone, and such technical matters as spelling and punctuation. Once you've incorporated such suggestions as make sense to you, make a crisp, clear original of your artist's statement. Sign and date it. Make lots of copies, you will have lots of people to serve it to! STEP FIVE: Summon the Guests.There's little point in concocting a fabulous stew if you don't invite anyone to dinner. Every time you use your artist's statement you extend your circle of influence and build new branches of the support network for making, showing and selling your work. Enclose a copy of your artist's statement whenever you send a press release, letter of interest to a gallery or store, or contact a collector. Send it to show promoters and curators. Enclose a copy with shipments of your work so it can be displayed wherever your work is exhibited. The rest of this manual will suggest many opportunities for using your artist's statement to express your truth and support your presentations. STEP SIX: File Your Recipe!Save all the notes and drafts that you've made. You'll want to revise and update your artist's statement from time to time to reflect changes in your work. Still, it is likely that many of the underlying expressions of your authority will remain the same. Having access to the "recipe" for your original statement will help you generate better revisions and will give you a sense of creative continuity. Whenever you need copy (for announcements, packaging, exhibit catalogues, etc.) return to your warm-up exercises. The words and phrases there will help you write openly and honestly about your work. And repeating the exercises will help you chart new creative territory. * * *
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Interactivity (lack of inspiration)
On October the 1st, 10 sheets were given out to 10 people in fine arts asking "If you were me what would your next intervention be?"
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