Conversations and Construction: Day 2
Second day in the gallery, and things are already feeling a little smoother.
Time seems to have gotten the better of me, and I am still working on some finishing touches for this set of object cozies, but I will update you later with the final products. For now, I'd like to introduce the next set of participants in Situate!
Jeff: arrives first, at 11, with a tiny red cowboy hat that is intended to be an air-freshener. He has never taken it out of the packaging. It was given to him as a gift, while hitchhiking a number of years ago by a stranger that he ended up spending the day with. The hat seems to represent a state of freedom, travel and connection with strangers.
Time seems to have gotten the better of me, and I am still working on some finishing touches for this set of object cozies, but I will update you later with the final products. For now, I'd like to introduce the next set of participants in Situate!
Jeff: arrives first, at 11, with a tiny red cowboy hat that is intended to be an air-freshener. He has never taken it out of the packaging. It was given to him as a gift, while hitchhiking a number of years ago by a stranger that he ended up spending the day with. The hat seems to represent a state of freedom, travel and connection with strangers.
Following Jeff's conversation, I am met by a surprise visitor, Carl, who has travelled all the way from Calgary, to make it to his 12:30 appointment. Things are shuffled around slightly, to accomodate his early arrival. (He left Calgary at 3am, to make it in time! What a trooper! )
Carl: I was expecting his participation via email, as we had been communicating about his envolvement since this summer. Never did I assume that he would actually make the trip out to Regina, but I was pleasantly surprised by his arrival.
Carl: I was expecting his participation via email, as we had been communicating about his envolvement since this summer. Never did I assume that he would actually make the trip out to Regina, but I was pleasantly surprised by his arrival.
Carl brought with him, the sound of the bow river, flowing East and West (in reverse) on a set of one minute tape loops. The tapes repeat infinitely, and can be listened to on head-phones. Hailing from Calgary myself, I felt a special connection to the sound of the bow, and found myself getting lost in the repeated tape loops, subtle clicks, allerting me to each passing minute.
The recording was acquired, after numerous takes, by dangling a water-proofed microphone into the flowing waters of the bow, from a pedestrian walk-way bridge. To achieve this, Carl attached a long cord to the microphone, and draped it from the bridge, in an action reminiscent of fishing. I like the idea of "fishing for sound" from a busy pedestrian path...He was understandably met with many a puzzled look and inquisitive stare throughout the process.
Carl clarified though, that his "object" was not the tape(s) or the walkman that he presented the sounds on, but the river, and sound thereof. Living in Calgary, close to the river, Carl considered this important body of water, and the social characteristics of rivers, lakes and waterways. Water is a meeting place, a place of leisure, fun and friendship, but also an ever-present natural phenomena, that is witness to the motions and secrets of the cities, through which it may pass.
We talked at length, about water, sound and social spaces. It was surfaced, that Carl has a subtle fear of water. This gave me some food for thought, as I considered how to tackle this conceptual challenge of "cozying" the bow river. (More to come on this!)
The recording was acquired, after numerous takes, by dangling a water-proofed microphone into the flowing waters of the bow, from a pedestrian walk-way bridge. To achieve this, Carl attached a long cord to the microphone, and draped it from the bridge, in an action reminiscent of fishing. I like the idea of "fishing for sound" from a busy pedestrian path...He was understandably met with many a puzzled look and inquisitive stare throughout the process.
Carl clarified though, that his "object" was not the tape(s) or the walkman that he presented the sounds on, but the river, and sound thereof. Living in Calgary, close to the river, Carl considered this important body of water, and the social characteristics of rivers, lakes and waterways. Water is a meeting place, a place of leisure, fun and friendship, but also an ever-present natural phenomena, that is witness to the motions and secrets of the cities, through which it may pass.
We talked at length, about water, sound and social spaces. It was surfaced, that Carl has a subtle fear of water. This gave me some food for thought, as I considered how to tackle this conceptual challenge of "cozying" the bow river. (More to come on this!)
Edith: arrived next, bearing an intricate gold clock.
The clock is one of numerous, in a collection of "fancy clocks" that Edith holds dear. This clock, same as many in her collection, does not properly keep time. We discussed the merits and flexibility of "function" and of memories. People embedded in things. Edith and I seem to share similar sentimental tendancies towards the ephemera, given or left behind by friends and loved ones. Pieces of string, scraps of paper, holding value in their association with people.
The clock collection is important to Edith. She likes to surround herself with things she thinks are beautiful. But it is also powerful as a stand alone object.
(Cozy to come soon!)
The clock collection is important to Edith. She likes to surround herself with things she thinks are beautiful. But it is also powerful as a stand alone object.
(Cozy to come soon!)
Lacia: Was ind enough to accommodate Carl's unexpected arrival, so we met the next day. She initially came, bearing a glossy ceramic elephant, which she left with me in the gallery over night, until our conversation the next day. I was intrigued to hear about their story.
Lacia was given this elephant when she was a young child, by her grandfather. He acquired it from the home of a relative who has passed away. She immediately loved the elephant, and has lived close to it, ever since. The elephant has sustained numerous moves, around the country, and a couple of fractures to legs and tusk. It's broken tusk gives it a certain resemblance to Ganesh, the Hindu deity. We discussed Ganesh's role in Hinduism, and Lacia's exposure to this culture through interactions with acquaintances of Hare Krishna faith. We shared similar tales and turbulences, pertaining to living the sometimes transient life-style of an artist. Packing, moving, deciding what comes with, and what stays behind. This is a relevant theme in Lacia's life, especially as she is was going through a move of residences, at the time of our conversation.
I decided to make a Ganesh sweater/poncho for the elephant. Yes, I am aware of it's resemblance to a "crab costume"...I might ammend this at a future time, or I might not...