in honor of my summer job

I think that because the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is considered a piece of history its importance as art is often overlooked. The design was submitted as part of a competition in 1981 and it was meant to apolitically honor those who had died. The winning design came from Maya Ying Lin, a 21 year old student at Yale University (her original submission is pictured, right).

Ironically, it was originally submitted as a project in her funerary design class, and the selection of this design caused quite a bit of controversy. Some people felt strongly about more traditional approaches. It is important to note that at this time figurative statues were the norm, and Lin's abstract interpretation of public art shifted internationally the way that artists approached memorials (think the Holocaust Memorial in Boston).

The minimalist shape of the memorial mimics the rising tide of death during the war. The names are all placed in chronological order so that we can see how the casualties gradually rose, peaked, and declined. Rather than grouping them all together as 'those who perished in service of their country etc.' Lin commemorates each individual. In addition to the shape's metaphoric description of death, the structures minimalism allows people from all over the world to relate to it. The shiny surface of the black granite shows the visitors reflection blended with the names, and its simplicity allows for individual interpretation.

Furthermore, without any instruction certain rituals have sprung up around this object. People from all parts of the world make etchings of the names of deceased soldiers by rubbing pencil over them. It is also a ritual for visitors to leave objects and letters for their loved ones and friends (see left). These objects are treated as part of the artwork - they are collected and stored rather than disposed of.

My job this summer has given me a new appreciation for people who serve or have served in the military. Every day there are stories about men and women of all ages who are struggling to readjust to civilian life or who are succeeding with the invaluable support of family and veterans' organizations. Although I'm sure that working at a hospital I see the more extreme cases on either end. Regardless of where my opinion lies politically, the people who serve gain my utmost respect. And regardless of the turmoil that surrounded the Vietnam War, this is an artful way to commemorate the people who lost their lives.

I know you know him

...even if its just from the Obama Hope poster. I went and saw Shepard Fairey's collection at the ICA in Boston (click here for video), and I was impressed. But also a little saddened that a person so talented, and with such an impressive resume (he has done work for Interpol, Led Zeplin, & the Black Eyed Peas, and graphics for GHII and Walk the Line), could spend so long in near obscurity probably in part because he is a street artist. It is common for him to 'borrow' images from pop culture (my favorite being a portrait of Flavor Flav) and then put them up illegally. Like Andy Warhol said, "Art is what you can get away with." The image on the left is the original Obama poster, before his campaign contacted Fairey and requested that the word at the bottom be changed to hope. Fairey has always used his work to express his opinions, but this poster was the first time he has used his art to support any political figure.

Fairey does quite a bit of street art and has been arrested roughly 14 times in his career. A lot of his art centers around a mythical figure that he created based on the face of Andre the Giant called Obey Giant. If you read his manifesto you will see that he wants to make people rethink what they already know, and he does so by posing questions or flat out confronting the viewer on an issue. Obey Giant is a commentary on advertising and its power in our lives. (By the age of 5, children can recognize and identify more than 100 logos - do not even get me started.) It represents a symbol with no agenda and for some people that is discomforting; you are supposed to be able to recognize labels. There is a certain amount of relief when you discover what the image means, and in turn that makes you think about what symbols mean in your life.

Fairey encourages people to proliferate his work in any way they choose and even offers a few images on his website that can be printed out and used to make stickers, posters, etc. I decided I could use a little Obey Giant in my life, so here goes my first diy art project:

who doesn't like polks dots?

What you are seeing is part of an exhibition called Walking In My Mind: adventure into the artist's imagination at the Hayward Gallery in London. The polka dot trees are by Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929) a Japanese artist who lives, by choice, in a mental institution in Tokyo. She began painting when she was 10 at her therapist's suggestion as a way to channel her hallucinations and obsession with repetition. This is probably an accurate insight into what Kusama sees on a regular basis, as she usually describes herself and her whole environment as being covered in polka dots.



The writing on the artwork is evidence of its interaction with the environment rather than vandalism and proves that it is challenging for many people. Obviously her art has made an impression on people and something about it has compelled them to write on it. I would argue that here the viewers' perception of the art is more important that the material art itself. For anyone that doesn't hallucinate dots, this really challenges the way that you think about your environment. If nothing else, it makes you conscious of your surroundings. She is using her art to comment on how artificial the trees feel in an urban setting and to challenge our expectations. Finally, as a temporary work of art there is an urgency to see it that makes it even more special.

So the next time you are walking down a crowded street imagine that everything is covered in dots, and see if you notice anything new.

peace event for john lennon

This is going to need a little bit of background, so bear with me. It was created by Yoko Ono, a fluxist artist who, regardless of what she may have destroyed, is a very talented artist. The Fluxus movement, which began in 1963, is generally simple, diy, and anti-art. Much of it relates to the idea that the viewer completes the art through some form of participation, thus the art is not complete without some kind of interaction.


If you have had the misfortune of living near me during this last semester then you have probably heard me talk about Cut Piece excessively. Ono sat on stage in her best clothes and invited the audience to cut them off. Ironically, at the beginning audience members were hesitant and uncomfortable while approaching her but by the end, when there was very little cloth left, people came right up to her and cut off large sections of her clothing. One man even jokingly threatened her with the scissors, but Ono did not move the entire time. Cut Piece demonstrates the role of aggression and sacrifice in the relationship between audience and artist.


Ono recently reenacted Cut Piece in the name of world peace. She has always used her art to advocate for peace - she is afterall a product of the 60s. This work is something that can be done by anyone, anywhere. It is easy, free, and simple. Rather than producing an object that can be bought and sold, she produced instructions that anyone can carry out:

Peace Event for John Lennon

This is a call for all countries and their people who wish for World Peace. You, the carrier of good tidings, be proud, swift and wise. By being in peace, you are already part of the peaceful world.

A: VIP (Visit In Peace) Event

Visit:
Visit the Middle East.
Visit Asia.
Visit Africa.
Visit countries in the Southern Hemisphere.
Visit countries in the Northern Hemisphere.

Take:
Take photos of your friends who wish to make the trip but cannot.
Take music and/or an instrument from your country.
Take one thing you wear often and give it to somebody
you meet there.
What you give could be
As small as a handkerchief.
As useful as a T-shirt.
As pretty as a necklace.

Watch:
a) Watch the sunrise and compare it with the ones at home.
b) Watch the sunset and compare it with the ones at home.
c) Watch the moonlight and compare it with the ones at home.

Stay:
a) Stay until you find a friend to talk to.
b) Stay until you start to appreciate the country.
c) Stay until you start to feel love for their children.

Wish:
Make a wish and hold it in your heart.
Deliver a wish and see it unfold.
Send a wish and ask it to be shared.

Bring:
Bring back something you bought there.
Bring back memories.
Bring back a smile.

B: HIP (Home In Peace) Event
For those who cannot make the trip:

Visit:
In your mind
In your heart
In your dream

Pen pal:
Make pen pals in countries you've never been to.
Ask your friends to do the same.
Make pen pals in troubled countries.
Ask your friends to do the same.
Make pen pals with people of different religion and beliefs from you.
Ask your friends to do the same.


Map:
Pin a world map on your wall.
Start putting flags on the countries you have pen pals in.
Take a photo of your map every month to record the increase of the numbers of flags.

Imagine:
Imagine all the people holding hands.
Imagine all the people hugging each other.
Imagine all the people living life in peace.

Listen:
Listen to the heartbeat:
a) your own
b) your mate's
c) your child's
Listen to people.
Listen to animals.
Listen to the planet.
Listen to the Universe.
Listen to the Earth turning.

C: DIP (Dance In Peace) Event

When you are feeling bad
Do one thing a day
To make your heart dance.
It could be a simple thing like looking up at the sky.
If you can't manage even that
Do something for somebody
To make his/her heart dance.
It could be a simple thing like giving a call.
Do this for awhile and
Your life will change in a big way.
One day we'll all dance together.
Alright? y.o.

Reading through it makes me smile. Ono says that we can make a difference just by "being in peace" and then she uses her words to lighten your day. It makes me wish that creating peace were that simple. I would like to believe that if we all followed these instructions the world would be a little bit better off, or at least a little less ignorant. What I find so captivating is that it only exists when you do it. There is no room for commercialism or aggression.

I hope that as many of you travel to other parts of the world you will share your peace events with me. I absolutely want to know how the moonlight here compares to the rest of the world.

just because

doing the blog thing...

Unlike some of my safari-going, romantic-language-speaking, grassroots-supporting friends, I will be camped out at home this summer, so I am going to do something a little different. Rather than bore you to death with things like "today at work..." I am going to do a series of posts on usable, current art. Before your eyes glaze over, let me just tell you that it won't be the usual canvas-based stuff (think more like postsecret). Each week I am going to select an object or collection of objects created by an artist that is relevant to everyday life. My "living art" selections will be based on a quote from the philosophy of public sculptor Claes Oldenburg:

"I am for an art that is political-erotical-mystical, that does something other than sit on its ass in a museum."

My hope is that you will find it interesting and that I can sneakily teach you a little bit about something that I love.