When shopping carts hang from thread.

Studio visits this semester are moving in a different direction than last.  So far I have met with Andrianna Campbell, doctoral candidate and ArtForum contributor, and John Newman who is an internationally known sculptural artist.  These visits have both found their way towards being a conversation about subject versus content as well as creating a balance between formalistic approaches and concept.  Yesterday I met with Rob Robbins and again the conversation found its way there.  I find this to be an encouraging pattern.  Formal ideas aren’t so much the issue as the lack of argument towards something deeper, more conceptual.

This leaves me at a position of well informed experimentation.  After Andrianna’s visit I had made a few decisions about the treatment of the shopping carts.  I have a general idea of an installation that I will be presenting for critique in week 5.  Here is a list of treatments for the carts and a few may show up in crit.  

• Paint the steel rod directly, white, black, colors

• Wrap the carts and paint them white like “Zed”

  • Paint them a solid color

• Dip in water and let rust (Check)

I am having a difficult time figuring out how to wrap my shopping carts.  I’m thinking really large leggings or panty hose.  The just don’t support the square pieces of spandex like the modules for Zed.  Trip to the store tomorrow.

One thing that has been consistent from the start is the desire from visitors to my studio to have me reel in my color choices. It’s not that they don’t exist in agreement on paper but rather that there are just too many colors. When I start painting again I will be mindful and if I color these wrapped carts then will most likely be single or two colors.

Lately I have been trying to sort out what is consistent about the work that I create.  I am pulled to the same type of line no matter the medium. Light is present in everything I make but light interaction exist in all artwork.  Color is important but is on the back burner for a sec.  How can Light be content.  I’m hoping to make a play at it for week 5.

Basically I am going to be casting light on a hanging sculpture and painting the shadow on the wall.  The light will then be removed and the relationship that will exist will be between the object and the painting of its contour.  I have not decided it that object is going to be wrapped or painted or naked.  If all works out I will have two hanging examples of this idea and will explore these ideas.  I am keeping artists like Mary Temple and Tim Noble in mind as I explore this relationship and while I hesitate to use these words yet I would like to use words like illusion.  I’m saving liar for when I figure out how to projection map “Zed” into fluctuating between 2D and 3D space with light.