ENdurance Piece

My performance provoked some interesting responses. One girl was really offended by my presence. She insisted that I move away from her. Older People, such as faculty members were more concerned with my behavior. Some asked me if I would care to sit with them. Students generally smirked at me or looked confused.

 Standing in a small environment for 3 hours was interesting. Simply standing for 3 hours was interesting because it forced me to examine my surroundings in great detail, because there was nothing else to do. 

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. 

Endurance Piece

For my endurance piece I will stand akwardly in the back of the Powel dining hall holding a plate of food. My first inclination when I walk into the dining hall is always to sit alone, unless I see people I am already friendly with. I know I am not alone in this. I go about my life only interacting with a small circle of people, and viewing everyone else as a stranger. I want to dissolve this constructed barrier that causes me to view people as strangers. My standing in the Powell dining hall will express the tension people feel in certain social situations which i feel should be dissolved. I feel that communication between people should be more common and relaxed. 

AU Shenanigans

Moon Projection

After having a few problems coming up with an idea in the beginning of this project, we can up with have shadows cross over a moon. The shadow box is made out of plywood, with a front, two sides, and a top. A shelf is inside in order to hold the motor and pin wheel withthe images on it. The motor has a plywood circle attracted to it with 4 dole rods. Each rod has a paper image glued to it. The the hole cut in the front of the box serving as the moon, is covered with a white sheet of paper. The box has a night scene painted on it of the moonshining between hills over some water. A light has to be shined a half foot away in order to get the image's shadow to stay clear.A box was put behind the piece and the clamp light sat on top of it. A black towel is tacked to the back to cover and keep the light contained.

Automata

For my automata I used reciprocating motion to depict the riveting narrative of a Native American baby who is struggling for survival in the face  a giraffe, and a dinosaur, both who threaten to consume him.

24 hours measured in orange peels

I documented the passage of time by arranging peel samples from all of the oranges I ate in a twenty four hour period. Orange peels in this context are an interesting way to observe the passage of time because the older the peels are, the more dried up and shriveled they become. I ate the oranges at random intervals throughout the day and left the peels in a pile on my desk. At the end of the day I was able to arrange the peels in chronological order by observing the color, which darkened as time passed and also by feeling the texture of the peels. The older they were the harder they got. I am interested in the process of decay as a representation of the passage of time.