In Medieval times, the five senses were seen as the root of all things evil. To give in to the five senses would be the fall of all things good. The problem I have with this is that I use my senses to create. I find narrative in the things I do and make because I use my senses. I use them to find things, and expand upon them. When I try a new food for the first time, I want to know where it came from. I want to know what went into it. I want to know how it was made. Investigating the little things in life is enough to make me want to create.
Thinking of something to declare as my "Manifesto" is not the easiest thing for me. How can one person define who they are by one single image or one single piece of writing? I don't believe I could be accurately represented this way. The best I feel that I can do is give an excerpt of how I think as an artist, and what I believe to be true. I believe that the source of what I do best comes from giving in to the five senses. All around me, I take in what I experience and put it in a physical form for others to see. In my manifesto piece, I have chosen to portray my thoughts as an artist in a book form. Within the small accordion book, there are brief stories. The following are the stories about how I have used each of the senses to create something:
I saw a black and white silent film one time. I really appreciated the simplistic quality. Without sound and color, you rely solely on your sight for interpretation. After seeing this film, I tried to use similar techniques in a flip book.
My daughter asked me one day, "When were we going to the seaside?" We would always listen to a song called "Seaside" together, and she would tell me about all the things she wanted to do there. One of her favorite things was hearing the birds and the waves.
Some people love sushi. I am not one of those people. I have never understood what it was about its taste that people liked. If I were to create a piece about sushi, how would people react? maybe some people would love to experience sushi in every possible way. If they are like me, their reaction would be of disgust.
I once read a blog about how people use fabric as therapy. The touch of the textures can be calming and soothing. Sewing with these fabrics can give order and organization to the artist. It almost gives a sense of stitching a person together.
Going out to the country is one of my favorite things to do. Living in the city makes you forget how simple things can be. We get used to construction and neon lights. Sometimes, you even forget how clean the air can smell.
When I make things, I want my viewers to use their senses. I feel that this makes the experience of my work stronger. In my manifesto piece, the viewer is given a piece of my thoughts, with a simple image layered on top. When the small ropes are removed, the writings are exposed. My thoughts on the senses and the adjoining images function in the piece as a sort of journal. You don't get every thought I have ever had in this journal, but you do get an idea.
Karina Allgood Selects:
Joshua Mosley
"American International"
Indianapolis Museum of Art
Joshua Mosley uses his installations, such as "American International" to tell a story about a person. In this particular film, he depicts a small town with the statue of George Washington Carver. The story gradually unfolds his open-ended story. Mosley chooses well-known historical figures to portray in his films. I can see this as being memorialization, but it also brings a new perspective to an older story. I love that he uses film and sculpture in one piece. The way he handles the narrative also reminds me of black and white silent films. The slow and steady pace force you to watch and pay attention. I use this concept with stories I tell in the books I make. I want each page to unfold gradually, so that the viewer becomes involved in the book. I can relate to Mosley in his use of characters, a setting, and a plot. Mosley shows the viewer what he sees, but the interaction is unique to each person, and this is what I love about his film.
Heather Rowe
"Tenuous Arrangements"
Indianapolis Museum of Art
In "Tenuous Arrangements," Heather Rowe takes a piece of art that influenced her, and created her own piece of art with it. The installation may be considered a sculpture, but it takes on a new role when it forces the viewer to interact with it. I try to implement this kind of concept in my work. I feel that when a viewer goes from just looking at a piece of work to interacting with it, a change happens within the relationship. I enjoy the fact that books are interactive, just like "Tenuous Arrangements." This piece forces you to use your senses to understand it. Can you walk throught it? Will it hurt to touch the glass? How stable is it? It plays with the viewers expectations of what a space should be. Experiencing her piece alters the way you view it, along with other structures you encounter after the experience. I feel that Heather Rowe's piece is successful because of her attention to the senses.
1 comment:
I can easily see the theme of narration that flows through your manifesto, and both selections. The opening relationship to medieval art was very appropriate to guide us from the senses, into food, and I thought....how clever! Books always seem to be such a simple means to express something; although some of us understand how much work goes into it. Your description of the interactions of Rowe's piece were very accurate and to the point.
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