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Installation & Digital Art: Me., 2004
Statement
Me. is a text-based self portrait. This project was a two part exploration: one part of self as a person and as an artist; two of media, the digital and the installation. The first exploration was writing the text, and this was done quickly and with minimal editing to keep it from being over worked. The second exploration was creating two pieces that delivered the text to the viewer, but with similar difficulties to those encountered when learning about me or another person. The text for both digital and Installation is identical, and the challenge for the viewer comes from the presentation. The digital version is designed to make the viewer seek me out they must discover the text and how to read it. The text for Installation was installed using 18 point vinyl letters, placed 15 inches high in a single 22 foot line on two of the lobby walls in the Shwayder Art Building.
Installation [part one]
With this iteration of Me. I choose to perform a guerrilla installation of my self-portrait underneath an installation of photographic self-portraits. I took this approach for two reasons. First, I was juxtaposing realism and conceptualism to show self-portraiture is not just an image of self, but is also a concept of self. Second, the guerilla approach was used so the viewers and artists would investigation further into the statement, to ask why it was there and who did it. My goal was to prompt discussion about image and concept of self. Patrons experienced the art as a guerilla installation, but both the concept and installation was cleared by the curator, Roddy Macinnes.
Setup & installation
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Wall detail
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The tare down
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This is the "second version" of the piece. Looking back it was more of a juvenile response to being told to remove my piece than a fully considered work of art, but the statement I made was accepted and these phrases were left up an additional two weeks after the original came down.
Full Text
Definitions of self, as a person, as an artist and as a designer: Who am I? I am complex. I don't readily let people in, my defense mechanisms are well hidden, keeping many from ever really knowing who I am. Most close or not will see I am an artist and a designer, I see myself as such and in all forms and connotations of the words. I am creative, methodical, quick, and a work in progress, as the descriptive words I choose to define who I am change, with two exceptions artist and designer. I am by no means concrete, but in a tepid flux, I use tepid to describe this flux as is not fast but gradual, and at times can be rather snail paced as I can get caught up in my own space, time, beliefs, patterns, theories, these change when I am ready for them too, but like I said I am not concrete. I will be the first to admit I am not the best, fastest, smartest, but I will only surround myself with those who I feel are. I like control, I am most comfortable when I am in control be it my body, life, business, despite the desire for control, I realize control is an illusion no one ever really has it, knowing this at least allows me to be content when I don't have it. I am at my most content and even approach a state of meditation when enthralled in a piece of art, design, or even fixing a computer. I am loyal. I am incredibly shy, but most won't notice as it does not show when I feel I have control. I believe life is a game with rules that I will never figure out, however, these may never need to be figured out as I am bound by no ones rules, I bend even my own. I enjoy a good joke, be it practical, visual, or private. I try not to get wrapped up in seriousness, seriousness should be taken in moderation, however this does not mean I take things too lightly everything should be approached with some maturity. Political correctness blows, I'd much prefer using tact, however if there has been a line drawn I'll be the first to run, jump over and piss on it. My art may not always say something potent, but it will always be emotive, I prefer to create from the sub-conscience and just let the creative juices flow, spew, boil over, thinking can just get in the way of the process. In fact most of what I do I just let flow, however, as I am a perfectionist and am anal retentive I will rework designs, and writings until they lose all meaning. But who AM I, I am me, you know me for how you want to know me, and likely for how I want you to know me.
notes
Thank you
To those that helped me with the installation: David, Suzi, Vivian, Zach, and Professor Roddy Macinnes for giving me permission to install it along side his students’ work.