Visiting Artist Studio Visit - Deke Weaver

My meeting with Deke Weaver went great. I met with him before I saw his lecture, and he came across as such a mild-manner, even-keeled person, it was good for me to not have any presumptions about him. I showed his the documentation of the Inter-spaces (Fish) piece. Quickly he was able to decipher the piece and think out some directions of consideration for it.

Of course the sounds are an important part of the piece, but he felt that all the sounds were too analogous- a common point made in crits- he suggested I try a different sound, look for ways to generate some tension. That will help enhance the harmonious parts, give them more reference, and well as allow the piece to move and grow, maintaining a slower, more interesting read.

Other ways to keep the basic struture/elements of the piece, yet to deepen/enrich it where:
- try to figure out the points of focus and movement through the physical space
- using a particular species of fish intentionally to add to the message
- finding other layers/resonance
- make sure that the piece is operating as more than just a combination of the formal elements

Deke brought up the way Philip Glass's work on "Koyaanisqatsi" (in part) elevates what could be described as some as very mundane uninteresting footage.


Although the work is built on exploring different ways of embodying the world, translating the senses into different senses (in this case particularly sight to sound), he suggested to repeat this formal consideration and perhaps translate other senses as well.

Most of all, he felt that I wasn't sure what do i wanted it to be about? Once I find what the piece is saying to me, I'll be able to edit and revise it so it speaks those things more eloquently.

Deke suggested I read "The Body Artist", by Don Dellilo, saying that it's a sort of ghost story, which taps into sourcing the mundane.

Moving the work forward, Deke recommended I check out the documentary on Jean-Claude and Cristo's "Running Fence" and listen to the artists describe the origins of the work, and how the piece expanded to the monumental thing it became. Not that my piece needs to be monumental, but as a way to consider the expanding growth of artwork.


On my ideas about hosting a larger interactive "instrument" (like the Volkswagen piano stairs), he suggested making sure that the "marketing" about the event/place/situation was just as considered, just as part of the piece as to add to the "thingness" the mythos of the piece. The more saturated the piece is in itself, the more confident, the easier it will to get people to drop their boundaries.

Zwelethu Mthethwa - studio visit

I showed him video documentation of the fish music piece. He responded well, saying he's not used to looking at work like this (which I took to mean, not flat work on the wall). An iteration of the fish piece was installed in the Pollak lobby display case. It was in the combination of these two pieces that the following critique is in reference to.

The element he mostly thoroughly critiqued was the visual presentation. He felt that that which was shown, and that which was not shown could be balanced more deftly. In the search for balancing what was shown and not show, he even went so far to suggest the hide the installation with a black curtain with sight holes, to highly certain areas, to force/contain what was seen.

Utilizing color to indicate other conniptions (such as red light indicating voyeurism). Practical implementations of this
- hand painted 16mm film running on a loop - heat issue? flammable? physical space can be taken up by threading film around space
- digital projector - colors can be synced or triggered, needs computer, also can burns out projector soon, hook projector up to time-delay motion-sensing power switch

Things can be a little more seductive, more eye-catching, a little more flamboyant. Utilizing mirrors at different angles could also direct the eye. Dress the piece up in visual language- theatrical is good, and can be achieved without being dramatic. Think- what contexts does the language of this piece engage? What arenas can claim to share language with the piece? People expect to see some "magic", give them a little. Allow the repetition of form/design/"message" to be seductive. Don't be afraid to use repetition to make people fall in love with the message.

Notes
- black curtain with sight holes
- change color of light, an example of color referencing things - red light = voyeurism
- a more eye-catching, more flamboyant, presentation
- mirrors behind?
- play with conceal/reveal
- has the indicators of someone doing Tai-Chi
- theatrical is ok, but no need to make it dramatic
- "pretty" fish vs. "ugly" fish, like the balance of "pretty" fish and Pierre, also (yin & yang)
- You expect to see some "magic"
- things need to be repeated in order for us to "fall in" (seduce- that's why we all like Michael Jackson)

McCoys - studio visit

Suggested JG Ballard's collection of short stories,
recommended John Klima's Post Masters
Survived research lab (gross application)

- They said that I recognized boundaries, that the work seemed to focus on playing with boundaries, be it personal boundaries, physical/geographic boundaries, definition boundaries.

They recommended to keep things simple - "Simpler things work best."

They recommended Tim Hawkinson. referencing that our work shares visual systems of scale, as well as some degree of interactivity.

Jonathon Schipper
- Takes something that's a physical possibility

Brody Condon's "LARP" stuff

Laurel Nakadate - studio visit

I decided to try something different with Nakadate. It was necessary, because, if we had sat in my studio, the only thing I could have offered was a tired nothingness. I wanted to get her out of this building, I wanted to get out of this building.

I somehow needed to find out if she was actually a human being, a real person, or if perhaps some corporate entity had long-since replaced her with some sort of robot that was being flown here and there, awarded this and that, giving speeches and lectures, and always opting for the "pat down" instead of the metal detector and chemotherapy at airport security.

she looked at the work on my walls, which is all older work. work that I entered the program with. work that I had FUN doing, work that meant something to me, and I felt could mean something to others. She laughed, giggled, and then I took her to coffee.

I was tempted to ask her to do a performance with me, come to my house and take a shower with me or something. But the notion made me tired. I can act all day, any day; I'm sure she can too. Nothing would get proved there. Perhaps nothing I could do would reveal anything about her to me, but I can try being a person to her, and see what that would return to me.

We walked to the library; I bought her coffee, and then we walked to the small circle where people sometimes practice trumpet or trombone. The cherry blossoms were full and falling.

We talked about:

how she can pretty much ask for any price, and if she doesn't get it, she's not taking the job
what kind of coffee she wanted
where the restrooms were
if she has family in japan
if her family was ok from the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear fallout
if she liked cherry blossoms
how her time was in japan
if her ex-bf was japanese
that she liked my work, it was funny
what a day in the life for her was like
where she was going and getting flown to
her show in nyc
that she has put in her time
she used to have trouble saying no
it nearly ruined her
she's happy flying around
but misses being in the studio
she wants to work again
for me to not give up

it was a nice meeting. i DID in fact feel that I had ascertained that she was NOT a robot, and perhaps saw a tiny bit of real Laurel. maybe. i saw something that was different from the Laurel that gave the lecture. something different from "Art" Laurel.

That was important for me.

Kathy Rose - studio visit

What artwork/proposals did you present?
I presented the Sleep Together project.

What topics did you discuss? What was the nature of this discussion?
We talk about the difficulties of keeping the piece from getting sucked into a discussion about social networks and digital lifestyles.

What were the critical reactions/ suggestions to your ideas/artwork?
She suggested talking about the experience in a way where the mediation is not the content. It's about the experience, NOT what delivered it. She made a good parallel with the example of the Catholic confessional. It that case, it's the separation, the veil or wall, that ALLOWS the intimacy.

What was a suggested plan of action?
She suggested that I think about metaphors for the piece, analogous pathways. How can I translate the experience onto different material? If I can lift the experience away from the realm of digital/online tools, I can bypass getting tangled into art about online social networks.

Kathy Rose was a good studio visit. She was much more engaging and able to connect than I would have guessed from her lecture (although I had the benefit of having her for a studio visit before seeing her lecture). She was able to generate some interesting connections and feedback.

48 Hour Artist Reflection - Wafaa Bilal

What artwork/proposals did you present?
I presented a wide range of work, including my long exposure seascapes, the gender investigation pieces, the interactive electric bike and the social/political satire work.

Specific pieces were-
I'd Hit That
Play With It Video
Where the River Meets the Sea
Electro-bike
Grid Piece

What topics did you discuss? What was the nature of this discussion?
Mr. Bilal discussed the push/pull of Provoke/Evoke, and the idea of creating "Dynamic" work, where all possible end states are unknown.

More over, he suggested keeping my audience in mind- "What do I want from my audience?" and "How do i engage my audience?" To this end, he stressed the importance of tuning into what society is going through, and placing myself at the center of it.

He also suggested that my work is less "interactive" than it is "reactive". I'm not too sure what he means by this, even though I asked him to explain the point some more. What I can gather, specifically, the electro-bike has a fixed set of outcomes- getting shocked, and thus the user reacts to it, as opposed to interacting with it.

Mr. Bilal stressed the way to keep work dynamic and interactive is to transfer the pain of the work to the audience/viewer, not in oder to hurt them, but to create sympathy in them, with the art.

What were the critical reactions/ suggestions to your ideas/artwork?
Mr. Bilal seemed attracted to the "I'd Hit That" piece the most because - It represents me, it involves humor, it is provacotive, and it takes on an overwhelming issue. He hoped that i'd develop the idea further, including reshooting the piece with a few minor changes- push the "americana" by having a white picket fence, and change the "tower" costume to be more recognizable.

What was a suggested plan of action?
Mr. Bilal suggested pushing myself to be more provocative. He told me a story of another artist- Charlie Lum, who apparently contracted the HIV virus during oral sex. He was told by doctors that contrary to popular belief, it IS possible to contract HIV through oral sex. Now Charlie goes to "hook up" parks and give/takes oral sex with strangers, calling attention to the disclosure laws surrounding HIV and common misconceptions about HIV in general. Charlie then plans on notifying all of his partners, letting them know that he has HIV and that they themselves could have it now too.

This story seemed pretty messed up, and not at all the type of "art" i'm interested in making. Mr. Balil seemed to speak of it highly though, as if it were on the cutting edge of "provocative". I don't think that that aligns itself with Mr. Bilal's own suggestion of transfering the pain to the audience, not to hurt them, but to create sympathy. It seems that possibly killing someone for "art", might classify as "hurting them".

What insights / new questions / ideas did you take from the meeting?
I am interested in continuing to investigate why I am interested in regressive/humorous/satirical pieces. As far as actually realizing them... I'm not so sure. If an idea that was really strong presented itself, i'd do it.

How did this meeting affect how you will proceed with your project / proposal?
After great thought, i really feel that i'd like to abandon the provocative direction... I think that there's enough work trying to be cutting and provocative, and it seems that there's a lot of negativity. I'd like to investigate peace, love, respect... perhaps more of a zen-like approach.