Part III

My friends, let us journey to our next arduous task.
In what capacity does work need to be created? Is creating a piece that you call art enough for it to be so? Not important and yes, respectively. I can expound on this subject, but perhaps it is best answered in my current body of work. Below you will note a few choice examples of current exploratory and ongoing pieces. Head-splittingly, each of these pieces not only address the above questions (as these are forever imbedded in my genetic makeup), but also their own issues.

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I have also been interested in the marks that we leave behind. This is especially prominent in the diary series. What do I leave behind each day? What mark do I make on the world? Hell, don’t we all feel as if “all I do is work all day?” – our lives dictated down to when to get up, when to eat lunch, when to go home - told what to wear. The choices left are limited by salary paid for services – again my life is dictated as to what social class I will be/am part of. So, what are my choices? One could argue that your job is your choice, that you could work another job, but isn’t it all just shades of the same gray? And when do the constraints of birth factor in?

What marks do I leave behind that are singular to me? What choices do I make each day, and how do these affect the mark I leave? The marks I leave behind are directly related to these daily choices, and I have begun to record them. I lint roll my clothing to be sure I am clean and presentable. I save the linty tape. I have the choice as to what tea I will drink. I have kept the tea bags and marks those tea bags make from drying on the paper. I have the choice as to what sandwich I bring each day and how I cut it. I have the choice as to which black clothing I will wear each day. All is recorded.

These are the marks I am leaving behind now. What marks did we leave behind as a kid? What are desirable marks to leave behind? Isn’t it a universal experience to want to stay home from work, do your own thing, color outside of the lines? When are we taught this? Who is taught this? How do I do this? And so enters the next piece of footprints.

Footprints – this is simple in its execution. The piece comprises of me getting my feet very dirty and walking though public spaces – the mall (this would be great to have a lot of folks do as well – like a mass entry out of the ocean & walking up the beach – footprints left behind). What would happen? I hope to find out soon (with the mall). Other places include: in paint in my studio, on the “Window on Broad” – muddy feet on the window, painty/muddy feet on the wall – July/Aug 2008. This space will be good b/c people will be expecting the window to have a piece of art (as it is the window of a gallery). Hopefully, it will spark some questions. Also, it is an interesting space for the piece b/c there will be 2 surfaces about 3’ from another, so 2 layers of footprints overlapping each other. I am excited to also document the actual making of the piece – walking horizontally on the window and the wall. I’d also like to do this walking across the floor in Hamilton Hall with clay-dirty feet from the studio. A great space to do so! I will see about this soon. I have also been eyeing some local Gallery spaces…

Okay, enough for today, I will continue another time...