Evaluation of Jay Vettes Endurance Piece

Jay Vette's endurance piece was my personal favorite. For his project he created a swing that was suspended from the underside of the bridge next to harder hall. The swing was positioned to one side of the bridge so Jay was not suspended directly over the water. He was practically concealed, really only noticeable if you knew where to look for him. The swing was maybe 4 or 5 feet long and about 2 feet wide. It was attached to the bridge with ropes.

             Jay was lying suspended on his stomach, dressed in blue jeans and a tee shirt. He was too long for the swing so his legs were hanging off of one end and his head was hanging off of the other. He appeared to be observing the water below him. Perhaps he was gazing at it in fear, although he looked pretty relaxed from the view I got. He was moving around a fair amount, bending his knees periodically and such. It seemed as though he was having a somewhat pleasant time hanging out there. His stance reminded me of a little child peering with interest over the edge of some overwhelmingly tall structure. Like when my dad would take me up to the tar roof of our apartment building when I was younger.

            The positioning of jays swing played a key role in its presentation. Had the swing been placed in the center of the bridge, his presence might have been way more obvious people passing by. This would have changed the piece a lot. It might have attracted a crowd of on lookers. Personally I am glad that Jay decided to put his swing where he did. He probably made the decision because it would have been so much extra effort to hang it suspended right in the middle of the bridge.

            The positioning of the piece was what appealed to me. I like that Jay was not easily detectable, because on the off chance that someone does spot him out of the corner of their eye, in the midst of their daily ramblings, it will be all the more baffling to that individual, all the more bizarre and unbelievable. A piece that is presented in a way that does not draw attention to it, has the potential to provide its rare observer with a feeling of good fortune, for they have happened upon a strange and beautiful occurrence by chance. It’s not about how large of an audience you attract. It’s about appreciating an absurd scenario, in respect of the fact that it is taking place in a void reality.